Summary of the Miami GP, which revealed the rise of the McLaren in a rain-soaked race and fights between the grid leaders

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Piastri rules in Miami and sends a warning to the World Championship

Oscar Piastri is becoming more than just a promise. The Australian driver struck another blow at the Miami GP, taking his fourth win of the season, his third in a row, and consolidating his position as the new benchmark on the grid. He did so in emphatic fashion, overtaking Verstappen in the opening laps and leading without hesitation as team-mate Norris and other favourites struggled with mistakes and setbacks.

The start of the race was frenetic. Verstappen set off with the intention of marking territory, closing down Norris at turn 2 and holding off Antonelli in an aggressive manoeuvre. However, the glory was short-lived. On lap 14, Piastri, who had already accounted for Antonelli, authoritatively tucked the car into the three-time world champion, forced him wide and took the lead with frightening coolness. From there, it was just a matter of keeping the pace and controlling the lap times as the McLarens showed a brutal performance.

Norris, meanwhile, failed again at the start, as he has done on other occasions this year. He dropped to sixth and had to row against the tide. Still, he came back strongly, overtook Russell and Verstappen, but it was too late to catch his team-mate, who crossed the finish line more than eight seconds ahead.

The podium was rounded off by George Russell, who benefited from a virtual safety car on lap 29 after Bearman's failure. That neutralisation allowed him to save time in the pits and climb positions, while Verstappen dropped to fourth, in a very grey day for him and his Red Bull, which continues to find no form in the face of the McLaren push.

Carlos Sainz had an inconsistent race. Bad start, recovery to sixth place and, again, crash after the pit stop. In the second part of the race he was overtaken by Albon and the Ferrari on fresher tyres. To make matters worse, he had to go to the stewards for a possible yellow flag infringement and later for a touch with Hamilton, with whom he was fighting for eighth. He finally finished ninth.

In the case of Fernando Alonso, little or nothing went right. The Spaniard started with a different strategy, using hard tyres from the start, but it didn't work out. He miraculously escaped an accident at the first corner and later spun while chasing Bearman, which relegated him to the back of the pack. He took advantage of the virtual car to improve some positions, but his Aston Martin still lacks pace. He finished 15th and far from the points.

Meanwhile, Albon shone with his own light. The Thai driver made the most of his Williams, he was always among the best and finished fifth, showing that the British team is starting to find a competitive line. Antonelli also put in some good showings at the top of the race.

The championship turns around with this result. Piastri slips away in the overall standings and McLaren is the strongest car at the moment. Verstappen, despite continuing to add up, sees how his hegemony is beginning to waver. The next stop will be in Imola, and it looks like this World Championship will be exciting for a long time.