The pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1, swept through Miami May 2-4 for Round 6 of the 2025 season. Twenty drivers in 10 teams, driving cars at over 200 miles an hour, fought for points in the world championship which is crowned after all 24 Grand Prix races.
The weekend’s events kicked off Friday with an hour-long practice session for the drivers, in which they were able to drive around the 3.36 mile Miami track to evaluate the speed of their cars. Topping the time sheets was Oscar Piastri from team McLaren, followed by Charles Leclerc from team Ferrari and Max Verstappen from team Red Bull.
After practicing, they moved into qualifying for the sprint race, a mini version of Sunday’s Grand Prix race on the Miami track. Qualifying determines the order in which the drivers line up on the track for the race; the car with the fastest time starts at the front. Rookie Kimi Antonelli from team Mercedes ended up at the front, shocking fans as team McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were the expected favorites for the weekend.
Zooming into Saturday, Norris claimed first place in the sprint race with Piastri and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from team Mercedes joining him on the podium in second and third place respectively. This was achieved after several masterful overtakes by both team McLaren drivers and a few incidents resulting in crashes on the track.
Adding onto the packed weekend, the drivers began qualifying Saturday afternoon to determine the order for the highly-anticipated race on Sunday. Max Verstappen was in pole position, meaning he was in first, with Norris and Antonelli behind him.
When arriving at the stadium on Sunday, there was clear anticipation in the air, with fans lining the stands wearing colorful jerseys. The Grand Prix was set to begin at 4 p.m., but there were two activities scheduled beforehand.
On a routine Grand Prix weekend, the drivers ride around in a truck waving to fans during the Driver’s Parade, a few hours before the race begins. However, this time, Lego and Formula 1 advertised their collaboration by unveiling 10 drivable Lego Formula 1 cars, each made of 400,000 bricks, which the drivers drove around the track. Despite the Lego creations only having a maximum speed of 20 miles an hour, the drivers still managed to crash into each other, accidentally leaving Lego bricks strewn all over the track.
Following the Driver’s Parade, three athletes parachuted from a plane as a precursor to the national anthem proceeding, after which the drivers lined up on the track in their cars. When the five red lights went out, they took off with a roar and began their 57 laps around the track, with Piastri ending up on top. Norris was in second, and George Russell from team Mercedes in third.
Piastri is now in first place of the standings in the world championship, followed by Norris and Verstappen. There are 18 more races set for the rest of the 2025 season, each bringing more high-speed battles for first place.
Several teams, including Racing Bulls, Kick Sauber and Ferrari unveil special designs for their cars to reflect Miami’s culture. Having new designs in a select few races is a common practice, with every team changing up their style on occasion. (Photo/Sanjay Agarwal)
In preparation for the race, drivers and a crew from their team line up their cars on the track. They change tires, ensure all systems are functioning, and give the driver any necessary information about the upcoming race. (Photo/Roma Agarwal)
