McLaren’s Oscar Piastri heads into Miami GP as the man to beat

MIAMI – Formula One’s high-octane show rolls into the Sunshine State this weekend for the sixth round of the season, the Miami Grand Prix, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri holding a slender lead in the drivers’ championship.

The 24-year-old Australian arrives in Miami fresh off his third victory of the season in Saudi Arabia, where he outpaced Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and reigning champion Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Piastri is on 99 points with teammate Lando Norris, who won at Miami last season, 10 points behind and Verstappen, who won the first two races around Hard Rock Stadium, on 87 points.

The consistency of McLaren’s MCL39, coupled with Piastri’s cool-headed approach, has made him the man to beat, but Miami’s tight, twisty layout and scorching temperatures will be a tricky test.

The weekend also includes the second of six sprint races this season – the 100km dash offering eight points that could influence who heads to Emilia-Romagna in the lead.

For the first time in his F1 career, Piastri is now the hunted rather than the hunter but he says he is relishing the competition.

“I’m excited to be getting back to business this weekend in Miami and will be aiming to execute another strong all-round weekend before we head into the European swing of the season,” he told the team’s official website.

“I love the city, the atmosphere and the people and it’s a track that I’m feeling very positive about. It’s also a sprint weekend, so there will be plenty of opportunities to keep the current momentum and energy building.”

Team principal Andrea Stella expects the battle in the heat to be fierce.

“This is a special race for us as it’s where Lando took his first F1 race win, which was a key turning point in our journey to becoming (constructor) world champions last year,” he said.

“This year, the level of competition is potentially even greater than last season, so we go to Miami focused on maintaining momentum and consolidating our progress.”

Meanwhile, it has been a disappointing start to the season for Ferrari, even though Leclerc picked up Ferrari’s first podium of the season in Saudi Arabia.

The week off before Miami has given the team the chance to make adjustments, but major changes are not expected until the circuit moves to Europe.

“We need to keep pushing to the maximum and hopefully upgrades are coming soon in order to improve the car,” Leclerc said after moving up to fifth in the standings, 52 points behind Piastri.

His new teammate Lewis Hamilton won the first sprint this season, in China in March, with Piastri second and Norris eighth. The Australian went on to win the main race in Shanghai from pole position in a McLaren one-two.

Hamilton has struggled since that first win in Ferrari overalls and the seven-time world champion sounded downbeat after Jeddah where he finished seventh, suggesting it was “going to be painful” for the rest of the year.

Team boss Fred Vasseur said Ferrari had seen “good progress” in the last two races, however, and had been working hard in the simulator to prepare.

The six drivers who started their first full season in March will all be driving in Miami for the first time, with Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson seeking their first points of the campaign.

Off the track, the Miami race always attracts a star-studded gallery of celebrities.

But this year there could be a focus on the newest entrant into the sport – General Motors’ (GM) Cadillac team.

In March, the US team Cadillac, which is backed by TWG Motorsports as well as GM, received final approval to become the 11th F1 team from the 2026 season.

Few details have emerged about the team’s plans, particularly who will drive for them, but there is an expectation that information may emerge in Miami, which has become a destination for the sport’s movers and shakers.

Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has been widely linked with a possible spot in the team.
AFP, REUTERS