Oscar Piastri led McLaren to first and second place at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, delivering a performance that solidified both his and McLaren’s position in the championship race. 

“It’s a great feeling to have won the race today, one I really wanted to win,” Piastri, McLaren driver, said in an interview with F1 news. 

The streets of the Miami International Autodrome provided the stage for McLaren’s most dominant display yet this season, as Piastri and teammate Lando Norris executed a near-perfect race strategy, capitalizing on their car’s superior pace and efficiency. This race showed Piastri’s fourth victory of the year but also underlined McLaren’s resurgence as a genuine powerhouse in Formula 1(F1).

“I loved seeing McLaren take a double podium and it was definitely well deserved,” Sophia Velasquez, junior F1 fan, said. 

The pre-race parade featuring drivable life-sized LEGO cars caught everyone’s attention. These creations, each built from approximately 400,000 LEGO bricks, mirrored the real F1 vehicles in design and team colors. The parade had drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari driver and seven-time world champion, and Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver and four-time world champion. 

“At first I thought the cars were all for show but I thought it was cool when they actually started driving them,” Kai Armitage, junior F1 fan, said.

Out of 20 spots on the track, Piastri started in fourth place on the grid, wasting no time asserting his presence at the front of the group. Max Verstappen had the fastest lap in qualifying, making him the pole-sitter and giving him a first-place advantage. In lap 14, Piastri executed a precise overtake on pole-sitter Max Verstappen. 

“I was cheering so loud for Piastri when he overtook Verstappen because it definitely did not look easy,” Velasquez said. 

Piastri controlled the race managing tire wear and pace. Norris had his own recovery to manage after an early clash with Verstappen. The minor contact threatened to derail his race, yet McLaren pushed forward unscathed. 

“[Formula 1] is a super dangerous sport and I’m glad that the crash was not very major,” Shannon Alvarado-Palacios, senior F1 fan, said. 

Norris’s drive back through the field tested both his skill and the car’s reliability, eventually securing him a well-deserved second place, just 4.6 seconds after Piastri.

“I personally am not a big fan of Norris but he’s doing big things and showing skills that have to be recognized,” Velasquez said. 

The Miami Grand Prix weekend was part of a double-header, featuring both a Sprint race, a shorter, more aggressive race without pit stop, and the main event, with Norris taking victory in the Sprint and Piastri finishing close behind. 

“There was a large McLaren presence in the crowd. It was like a sea of orange,” Armitage said. 

McLaren’s engineers had introduced a comprehensive upgrade package for the MCL38, McLaren’s car this year, ahead of Miami, including a revised front wing, improved suspension geometry and optimized brake ducts. These changes enhanced aerodynamic efficiency and tire management, critical factors given Miami’s demanding layout and high temperatures. 

“The improvements that McLaren has made to their cars are paying off and they are winning crucial races,” Palacios said. 

Piastri and Norris pitted under a well-timed Virtual Safety Car, which is activated in situations of localized danger on the track, on Lap 29, switching to hard tires in synchronized pit stops that were completed with efficiency. With their precision it allowed them to maintain their positions while extending tire life as the race continued, leaving their rivals figuring out how to keep up. 

“There’s always room to improve but I think they did an amazing job executing their plan,” Armitage said.

Neither Piastri or Norris faced any significant challenge. Their dominance was underscored by the gap to P3, third place, with Mercedes’ George Russell trailing over 37 seconds behind Piastri at the checkered flag. 

“I am really happy to come away with P3 in Miami. I’ve been struggling a little more than usual this weekend and not feeling as comfortable in the car as at previous races this season,” Russell said in an interview with F1 news. 

This result extends Piastri’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 131 points, with Norris in second. 

“It is still a little early but I think McLaren is going to win a lot more races and I think in the end it will come down between Piastri and Norris,” Velasquez said. 

The team now leads the Constructors’ Championship with 246 points. The performance in Miami demonstrated that McLaren’s success is not isolated to specific tracks or conditions. Their consistent pace across different circuits, combined with strategic sharpness, positions them as the team to beat for the remainder of the season.

“This is a great foundation for the rest of the year,” Andrea Stella, team principal for McLaren said in an interview with F1 news. 

In Formula 1, the team principal is the leader of an F1 team, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the team’s operations, from managing personnel to making key strategic decisions. They are the public face of the team, representing the squad in media interviews and official meetings.

Team Principal Andrea Stella was cautiously optimistic after the race, praising the drivers’ execution and the engineering team’s work behind the scenes. Stella hinted that more upgrades are expected before the Spanish Grand Prix, with a focus on rear stability and further aerodynamic refinement. 

“I think both drivers are very open to this kind of review, adapt, make adaptations and go again,” Stella said in an interview with F1 news. 

As the European leg of the season approaches, McLaren finds itself in new territory. McLaren has not held such a large presence at the front of the grid since their championship-winning days and their performance in Miami, particularly in both the Sprint and main race, showed they are controlling race results. 

“McLaren has good drivers and a good car so that definitely pays off,” Velasquez said. 

For Piastri and Norris, the focus now shifts to maintaining this momentum and managing the emerging intra-team rivalry that is beginning to capture attention. While both drivers have expressed mutual respect, the competitive fire is evident, with Norris determined to close the gap to his younger teammate.

“I know I need to get a move on and I need to get into gear a little bit, but I’m doing the best I can every week and trying to improve,” Norris said in an interview with F1 news. 

The Miami Grand Prix was a turning point for McLaren’s 2025 campaign, a race where their championship ambitions were not just declared but demonstrated with authority. The rest of the grid finds itself in the wake of a revitalized McLaren, chasing shadows as the papaya-orange cars continue to lead the charge.

“I think this race added momentum to McLaren and it will help them perform well and win the championship,” Armitage said.