The Formula 1 season heads stateside for the
sixth round of the 2025 championship , the Miami Grand Prix, held at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens.
Oscar Piastri arrives as the
leader in the F1 Drivers’ Championship , while
Max Verstappen , last year’s champion, has historically been strong here with two wins. McLaren’s early-season pace suggests they will be tough to beat around the Hard Rock Stadium complex. This weekend is also a
Sprint weekend , featuring Sprint Qualifying and a Sprint race before the main event. Here is our prediction for the top three finishers in Miami, with a prominent name looking to challenge.
2025 Miami Grand Prix Winner: Lando Norris | McLaren (Odds: 6/4)
All the signs point to Lando Norris as the likely winner of the Miami Grand Prix. The circuit marks the spot where Norris achieved
his inaugural Formula 1 victory last season . The 2024 victory marked a pivotal moment for McLaren, as it propelled the team to win the Constructors’ Championship title. The current 10-point deficit to teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings will not stop Norris from winning in Miami, which would restore his championship prospects. McLaren has been speedy this season, winning four of the first five races. McLaren should be the top contender because of their tire preservation skills, which could result in a one-two finish.
2nd Place: Oscar Piastri | McLaren (6/4)
The predicted second-place finisher is Oscar Piastri. Piastri would create a McLaren one-two result as the Drivers’ Championship leader brings his hot streak with him. The young Australian driver has consistently demonstrated great skill and pace throughout the season, winning three of the first five races. While Piastri is technically
tied with Norris as the odds-on favorite to win at Miami, we think the McLaren internal battle heats up as Norris exerts himself to stay close in the overall points total.
3rd Place: Lewis Hamilton | Scuderia Ferrari (28/1)
To borrow a phrase from the great writer Mark Twain, the
demise of Lewis Hamilton has been greatly exaggerated. We’ve got Hamilton, not his teammate
Charles Leclerc , reaching his first podium as a Scuderia Ferrari driver. While a third-place finish for Hamilton stands as a bold prediction due to his well-documented struggles in adjusting to his new team and car, Ferrari has shown a competitive race pace despite their qualifying performance falling short. Leclerc delivered Ferrari’s
first podium of the season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix , which indicates the team is gaining an understanding of the SF-25 car. Throughout his career, Hamilton has demonstrated an exceptional ability to recover from difficult situations despite his current car balance problems and rear-end instability. Hamilton can struggle on circuits with tight walls, which Miami has some, but we think he overcomes it and finally tastes victory.
Could Challenge at Miami Grand Prix: Max Verstappen (9/2)
The podium picks do not rule out Max Verstappen, who has to be a strong podium contender. Verstappen has proven successful at the Miami circuit, having won the Grand Prix twice (2022, 2023) and the Sprint in 2024. The Red Bull team plans to introduce floor upgrades at this race to try to bridge the performance gap with McLaren. The time penalty Verstappen received in Jeddah likely motivated him to double down on a better performance in Miami. Having missed media day due to the
birth of his new child , Verstappen represents a significant threat to McLaren’s pace advantage. There’s no doubt McLaren, Norris and Piastri remain the team to beat at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Yet a hungry Verstappen, an improving Ferrari team, and other midfield drivers also keeping the pace, race day should be full of surprises.
