Hello and welcome to this Total Motorsport live blog for the F1 Sprint at the 2025 Miami GP from the Miami International Autodrome as teams and drivers gear up for the first Formula 1 race of the season in the USA, which is also a Sprint weekend.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli pulled off a major upset at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, securing pole position for Saturday’s Sprint race as
the 18-year-old Mercedes rookie became the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to claim pole in any format. It marked a standout performance from Antonelli, who had never previously out-qualified his teammate George Russell this season.
Oscar Piastri, the current championship leader, came closest to dethroning Antonelli, but the McLaren driver fell short by just 0.045s. Lando Norris, also for McLaren, took third place ahead of Max Verstappen, who briefly held provisional pole before being bumped down to fourth.
Total-Motorsport.com’s F1 2025 Miami GP live updates for the Sprint Race will offer fans unparalleled insight into team strategies, reliability concerns, and potential frontrunners. So stay tuned with us as the F1 Sprint at the 2025 Miami GP unfolds live from Florida, USA.
F1 Miami GP 2025 Sprint LIVE: Latest Updates
LANDO NORRIS WINS F1 2025 MIAMI GP SPRINT RACE
Oscar Piastri took the lead on Lap 1 and afterwards it seemed as though he was destined to win but as the track dried, chaos ensued.
Lando Norris closed up rapidly but the Australian McLaren driver got the privilege of pitting first, and how he will wish he didn’t.
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Fernando Alonso’s crash caused a safety car that worked perfectly for Norris and handed him the lead of the Sprint and that was all she wrote as the safety car ensured the race ended under caution.
A classic tale of Lady Luck shining brightly on one person, Norris now takes an extra point out of his rival’s lead ahead of the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Next up? Qualifying in a few hours’ time.
Lap 16/18: 10-second penalty for Verstappen
Max Verstappen gets a 10-second time penalty for hitting Kimi Antonelli in the pit-lane and that will drop him out of the points.
“Come on guys,” the Dutchman says over the radio.
Replays show Fernando Alonso’s crash was caused by Liam Lawson, he hit the right-rear of the Aston Martin and sent it spinning off into the walls. He will take a penalty for that.
SAFETY CAR: Norris gets lead as Alonso hits wall
Fernando Alonso has crashed out of the F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race and wrecked his Aston Martin. It’s just like Australia once again for the Spanish two-time champion.
Replays also show Carlos Sainz hitting the wall a few laps earlier and giving himself a puncture but that wasn’t the cause of the safety car.
The safety car is deployed and it works out perfectly for Lando Norris, who manages to get in and out of the pits just ahead of Oscar Piastri in second. Lewis Hamilton is in third as things stand.
Lap 14/18: Norris all over Piastri
Lando Norris was all over Oscar Piastri and found seconds in lap time as the track rapidly dried up in Miami but the Australian was called into the pits at the very last moment.
Norris continues on in the lead. He doesn’t have to pit. Will he try to hang it out?
Lap 13/18: Verstappen and Antonelli crash!
Max Verstappen might have a broken front wing thanks to an unsafe release from Red Bull straight into the path of Kimi Antonelli as they change their tyres.
That is a mess from the four-time world champion. He will not be happy.
Lap 12/18: Hamilton, Stroll, Sainz pit
In response to Yuki Tsunoda several others think its a good idea to opt for some slick tyres, including Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton who was running in sixth place.
He could be a big winner if everyone else has to pit. The seven-time champion is on the softs.
Lap 11/18: Tsunoda pits for Red Bull
It’s a rare moment in a Sprint Race to see a pit-stop by Yuki Tsunoda and Red Bull have rolled the dice as they aim to move back up the field.
He’s running the medium tyre. How will this play out? Slicks could be worth seconds.
Lap 11/18: DRS enabled
DRS is enabled by Race Control and that will come in very handy for George Russell (against Kimi Antonelli), Carlos Sainz (against Esteban Ocon) and Alex Albon (against Lewis Hamilton).
They could all use the straight-line speed boost.
Lap 8/18: Sainz runs wide in Ocon battle
Carlos Sainz is bringing all of the action at the Miami International Autodrome as he battles hard with Esteban Ocon, constantly trying to set up overtakes into the final corner.
But the Frenchman’s Haas is holding steadfast and proving a very frustrating target to pass, and the 30-year-old tries a bit too hard as he runs wide and allows his rival to scamper off up the road.
VERSTAPPEN NOTED BY FIA
Max Verstappen has been noted by the FIA for being too far ahead in his grid box at the start of the race.
It was very similar to Lando Norris in Bahrain, something the McLaren got a five-second time penalty for but this time the Dutchman gets away with it.
New father’s luck?
Lap 6/18: Piastri leads by 1.7 seconds
Piastri is now checking out in the lead of the Sprint Race and he’s opened up a lead of around 1.7 seconds to Lando Norris behind.
He’s also cleared by the FIA of the Lap 1 incident with Kimi Antonelli. Race Control believes it was fair game.
LIGHTS OUT: Lap 3/18: Piastri snatches lead
Oscar Piastri gets off the line slightly better than the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli but the youngster tries to fight it out into Turn 1 and is forced wide and off track by the McLaren.
What will the stewards make of that? The 18-year-old is down to fourth behind Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen with George Russell close company behind.
It’s been a very clear start from everyone else, but especially Liam Lawson who is ninth and gains five places!
New start time: 12:28 local time (17:28 UK time)
The F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race will begin at 12:28 ET in Florida.
Stay tuned with live updates from Total-Motorsport.com.
RED FLAG: FIA halts session
Lots of drivers complained about the visibility, including Kimi Antonelli who was the first car behind the safety car. Replays show Max Verstappen locking up and sliding off the road, although he managed to take his place back up later on.
In light of that the FIA wisely abandons the formation lap running. We are officially on Lap 2 of 19 at the F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race. Visibility is very poor at the moment.
Multiple formation laps in Miami
The FIA aren’t willing to take any risks at the Miami International Autodrome as the safety car leads the field on multiple rounds of formation lap.
It’s unclear if this will affect the overall length of the Sprint due to fuel.
Who benefits from Charles Leclerc’s crash?
Charles Leclerc had qualified sixth on the grid for the F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race, but his crash on the lap-to-the-grid means he is out of commission and will not take part in the race.
So whilst his grid-spot will be left vacant, the cars below him have effectively moved up one place for all intents and purposes; with Isack Hadjar’s RB now occupying the last points spot from eighth.
Yuki Tsunoda, in the second Red Bull, starts from the pit-lane after changing his suspension following Sprint Qualifying.
Check out the grid below:
Will the F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race be delayed?
Charles Leclerc crashed and Oliver Bearman also had an off-track excursion at the Miami International Autodrome.
Will Race Control delay the start of the F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race? With the reduced number of laps, that’s the most practical option in Florida.
What were Ferrari thinking?
Miami is known for its sudden bursts of heavy rain due to its location near the warm Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, so why didn’t Ferrari just use the full wet tyres on the lap to the grid?
It would have given the drivers the best tools possible to react to the wet track and rain, and Charles Leclerc might not have found the barriers otherwise.
Once again, Formula 1’s oldest team continues to operate in mysterious (questionable) ways.
CHARLES LECLERC CRASHES
Charles Leclerc is on the intermediate tyres as he goes on his lap-to-the-grid at the Miami International Autodrome and crashes into the wall after aqua-planing!
He is OUT of the F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race!
Lewis Hamilton questions the Ferrari decision to put the car on inters.
Will Ferrari fix Leclerc’s car in time for qualifying?
Will we see a McLaren battle?
Despite being on Sprint Pole, Kimi Antonelli might not actually be the focus of Oscar Piastri as the world championship leader has Lando Norris, second in the standings, right behind him on the second row.
Will the Australian driver be looking in his mirrors at his McLaren teammate? Will we finally get to see them go wheel-to-wheel without Papaya Rules interfering?
ALERT: It’s raining in Miami
With under an hour to go until the Sprint Race begins, the heavens have opened at the Miami International Autodrome and the grid is experiencing a downpour.
That could force them onto the intermediate tyres, adding another element of risk to the weekend. Or could the FIA even delay the session?
Find out with LIVE updates here from Total-Motorsport.com.
Welcome to the blog for the F1 2025 Miami GP Sprint Race
Kimi Antonelli delivered a superb lap in Sprint Qualifying to take Sprint Pole ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with the Mercedes start running out the victor by an incredibly slender 0.045.
It validated all of the claims about his immense talent and the decision of the Silver Arrows to put him into the car, despite him being just 18 years old and relatively inexperienced through the junior formula series.
Three tenths ahead of George Russell, he announces his arrival in Formula 1. Can he now win the Sprint Race in Miami? Find out with Total-Motorsport.com.
Where to Watch 2025 Miami GP F1 Sprint Race?
For viewers in the United States, the 2025 Miami GP F1 Sprint will be shown on ESPN, with streaming coverage via ESPN+.
In the UK, all sessions, including 2025 Miami GP F1 Sprint Race are available on Sky Sports F1. And fans in Australia can catch all the action on Fox Sports 506, Kayo Sports, and Foxtel.
What time is F1 Sprint Race at the Miami GP?
The F1 Sprint at the 2025 Miami GP begins at 12:00pm local time on Saturday in Florida. That means a late afternoon start for F1 fans in the UK, where the Sprint Race begins at 5:00pm on Saturday.
Over in the USA, the 2025 Miami GP Sprint race session from Florida begins at 12:00pm ET on Friday afternoon, which means a mid-morning 9:00am PT start for those on the West Coast.
