Outside Line: Miami Grand Prix: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Beautiful
F1 OpinionWednesday, 06 May 2026 at 17:49
In spite of the absurd engine regulations. In spite of all the silly spin that is sullying our sport, Formula 1 drivers went out in Miami and reminded us why we still care. Why our sport is still beautiful.
They turned a much anticipated Grand Prix into a cracker. When the drivers get half a chance, they deliver. On Sunday, they did. Let’s start with Kimi Antonelli. My word, what a driver. Three poles. Three wins. A hat trick that was supposed to belong to someone else. A script ripped up and thrown in the bin.
You can argue he had an advantage early in the season. Fine. But not here. In Miami, the Mercedes was not the best car. The McLaren was. The timing sheets tell the story, with George Russell four tenths off his teammate in qualifying. In the same car.
That is not a gap. That is a statement. Antonelli did not just beat Russell. He dismantled him. The excuses about not liking the track do not stand. Twenty one other drivers faced the same challenge. They adapted. He did not. Adapt or get exposed. Antonelli adapted. Russell got exposed.
What we are seeing is not luck. It is talent. Raw, fearless, joyful talent. The kid is loving life, and that energy is translating directly into performance. No hesitation. No baggage. Just driving.
Meanwhile, the paddock had already crowned Russell. The pundits handed him the title before we even got going. That familiar Formula 1 bias, where the expected narrative outweighs what is happening on track.
Beautiful Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen
Miami’de #Verstappen ’in virajda, şikan üstünde güzel dönüşü 🌀👌
— Can Atılmışoğlu (@canatilmis) May 4, 2026
Virajdaki araç yoğunluğuna rağmen çarpışmanın olmaması büyük şans✨#F1#MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/O5RquZBOjm
Here is the reality. Antonelli leads the 2026 F1 world championship standings by 20 points. In my book, George Russell is no longer the favourite.
Thankfully, for the first time this season, I believe we saw the real version of Max again. Not the frustrated one. The killer. The genius. He has made a decision. Either bail out or lean in. He leaned in.
The start was typically tardy. Flings into the Turn one complex, exits with a tad too much throttle. The rear snaps. Most drivers are in the wall. Race over. Not him. He catches it after a pirouette amid the angry pack behind, holds it, and stays in the fight. That is not normal. That is Verstappen.
From there, it was relentless. Off kilter strategy. Old tyres. No margin. He picked off Leclerc, dealt with Russell and Hamilton, and dragged that Red Bull to a place it did not belong. A bit of luck, or some rain and he is on the podium. Maybe more.
This was not about Red Bull finding pace. This was about Max. If the car had truly improved, his teammate would not be nearly a second off on Saturday and in the wall on Sunday. The update did not transform the car. Max did.
What made Miami work was Antonelli and Verstappen at the front. The embrace after the race said everything. The headline photo says it all. Respect recognises respect. Beautiful.
Good: The contest and Williams
The racing? Let's call it the contest. I expected chaos. I expected these regulations to collapse in full view. Thankfully, they did not. But always expect the worst to celebrate the best, is my motto. The drivers managed it. The track masked the problem. For one afternoon, the sport got lucky. In my opinion.
The issues remain. These cars are artificial. Overtakes are often manufactured. The whole system is built on deployment tricks and gimmicks. Mario Kart with a billion euro budget. But in Miami, it did not completely ruin the show.
Moments where you stop watching and start questioning. What am I looking at. Is this real racing or engineered theatre. You could see it. The lifting. The coasting. The energy games. The artificial flow. At times it felt disconnected, like drivers managing systems rather than racing each other. But it was tolerably subtle.
And that is the problem. Not the drivers. The system. To their credit, drivers masked it. They drove around it and made it work. That is why Miami was entertaining. But do not confuse entertainment with authenticity.
The cracks are still there. Montreal is coming. Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, COTA, Monza etc. are coming. Tracks that will not hide the flaws. Tracks that will expose the truth.
Williams deserve a mention. Progress is visible. But this is as much about Albon and Sainz as it is about the car. Two drivers carrying a project that should have James Vowles worried about his job. Nevertheles, encouraging, but not convincing. Not yet.
Bad: Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren, TV coverage
Aston Martin. Write them off. They look closer on paper, but they are still nowhere. A team stuck between ambition and reality, with no clear direction.
The broadcast also missed the mark. How do you take four or five laps to show that start? That was one of the moments of the season. Verstappen catching that car changed the race. That is not a secondary replay. That is the story.
Then there is the commentary. The constant praise for this formula is forced. We understand the commercial reality. But do not insult the audience. This is not peak Formula 1. Saying it does not make it true.
Focus on the drivers. That is where the value is. Nothing said about these cars will make people forget what they are doing to the sport.
I also felt, McLaren dropped the ball. They had the car to win both races. They proved it on Saturday with a one two in the sprint. Then came qualifying. Then the race. Strategy errors. Execution errors. A team that should have won did not.
Ferrari delivered more of the same. Leclerc brilliant one moment, erratic the next. That late save was exceptional. Most drivers hit the wall. He kept it alive, but it still cost him. It always does. That is the issue. If you build a championship around him, you live with inconsistency.
And yet, he is still beating Lewis Hamilton. Comfortably. The seven time F1 world champion's best days are gone. That is not disrespect. It is reality. If this continues, Ferrari have decisions to make. The future is already knocking. Ollie Bearman...
Ugly: Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar. Welcome to Red Bull. Some advice: This is the big league. You are up against Max Verstappen. Nearly a second off in qualifying. In the wall in the race. Then the meltdown. Hitting the wheel. Smacking yourself. Sitting there while the world watches. It is not a good look.
Yes, you made a mistake. Yes, you are angry. So what. This is Formula 1. You are one of 22 drivers on the planet. Act like it. Get out of the car. Reset. Move on. Do not perform for the cameras. Because while you are doing that, someone else is lining up for your seat.
Arvid Lindblad is coming. And he will not bring that kind of noise with him. Learn quickly. Or you will not last, ask the long list of Max's failed former teammates.
And there you have it. Round 4. Miami Grand Prix. Done. This was not just another race. It was a credibility test for Formula 1. A moment where the sport had to prove it still works. It passed. For now.
But this was not a clean bill of health. It slipped through. Barely. Because even in the middle of the action, there were moments that did not sit right.
Miami done and dusted, and it was encouraging. It was a step forward. But let’s call it what it is. This is a broken Formula 1 era. And broken things can be patched. They can perform for a while. But they are never the same again.
Not until you replace the whole thing, because we can. And return it to the essence of what made them great.
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