2025 F1 Miami GP: Preview and Predictions

The 2025 F1 Miami GP will be the second sprint race weekend of the season. In 2024, it was this weekend that changed the direction of how the season would go. From an era where Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominated, McLaren took over the mantle.

This season, we're heading to Miami with McLaren leading the championship and Oscar Piastri at the top of the standings. Red Bull is not the benchmark in F1 anymore, and slowly but steadily the track is starting to become a common fixture on the calendar.

The races in Miami are taxing on the drivers with the humidity, and that is something that would be a feature this time around as well. With that being said, at this juncture of the championship, there's some serious intrigue about how a few things are going to pan out. So what can we expect from the 2025 F1 Miami GP? Let's take a look.

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2025 F1 Miami GP: Preview

Key Storylines

#1 The pecking order

It did come as a surprise to a lot of people that Max Verstappen in his Red Bull was more or less a match for Oscar Piastri in Jeddah. A part of it does come down to the fact that the cooler temperatures are where McLaren maybe doesn't enjoy the same advantage over its rivals.

As we head to the F1 Miami GP, the temperatures are going to soar, and that is maybe the type of condition where there is no hiding for the rivals.

We'll have to wait and see how these cars operate around the track, but there's a possibility that this weekend could be a disappointing one for McLaren's rivals.

#2 Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri

It's simmering for sure, but at some time the intra-team rivalry between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris is going to become the central topic in the sport. Whether that would happen in the F1 Miami GP is an interesting question, and the answer is not as obvious as one would think.

With that being said, this was the race where Lando Norris won his first F1 race, and maybe the Miami GP will turn heads once again for the British driver.

#3 Lewis Hamilton's struggles

One of the worrying aspects of the race in Jeddah was Lewis Hamilton basically admitting that he doesn't expect himself to make many improvements this season with the Ferrari. The F1 Miami GP is a sprint weekend, and the last time Lewis Hamilton did well was in such a setting. Could we see a repeat? His fans would hope so, but there are bigger questions at play for the driver.

Form Guide

In form

Oscar Piastri is now the championship leader this season, and heading into the F1 Miami GP, he will be the one who has the edge.

The best part about the entire situation has been the manner in which the driver has taken everything in his stride and has not made a big deal out of the fact that he is now leading the championship. Every step in his career has seemingly not come as a surprise to the Australian, and that's something which has prompted many to pick him over Lando Norris as the title favorite.

Out of form

Lando Norris needs to sort things out within the team and in his head. The driver's mistake in qualifying was a rare occurrence, but if we take a look at 2025, surprisingly, this has become a feature for him. You cannot win titles if you're not maximizing results every race weekend, and that has to be the basis on which Lando has to try and rebuild himself.

The Miami GP is crucial because now it's reaching a point where the driver cannot afford to lose to Piastri. How he responds this weekend is going to be crucial for the British driver.

Driver in the spotlight

This time around it is Lewis Hamilton for all the wrong reasons. It's safe to say that in the last 3 races, the driver has been outclassed by Charles Leclerc.

The problem is not the fact that this happened, but it is his cluelessness. The F1 Miami GP is a sprint weekend, and the last time Lewis did well was in these conditions. The driver would be hoping for a good run this time around.

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2025 F1 Miami GP: Predictions

Who wins the race?

We expect total dominance from McLaren this weekend. The one particular condition where the car has been untouchable is when the temperatures are high.

It does appear that the track would be baking this time around, and with a softer compound, the importance of tire management would become an even bigger factor.

In such a scenario, we expect the McLaren duo to fight it out for the win. Looking at the form guide, Oscar Piastri is our pick for the Miami GP. Lando Norris has to prove first that he can bounce back because unless he does so, it's the Australian who continues to have the advantage.

Biggest surprise of the weekend? (Team)

The hotter conditions and the medium-speed nature of the track should bring Haas back into contention in the midfield. The car does have its ups and downs, but in conditions where the fast speed sections are not too big a factor, the car is very competitive. Expect the car to score points once again this time around.

Biggest surprise of the weekend? (Driver)

Yuki Tsunoda has adapted to Red Bull much better than anybody would have expected. There is still a decent schism between him and Max Verstappen in terms of the part of the track that the two drivers operate on during the race.

For the F1 Miami GP, we're backing Yuki Tsunoda to close that gap even further as he continues to gain more confidence in the car.

Biggest disappointment of the weekend? (Team)

In many ways, hot conditions and medium-speed tracks are pretty much Red Bull's Achilles heel. That's where the car struggles the most.

After the high of Jeddah, the Miami GP might bring Red Bull back to the ground this weekend.

Biggest disappointment of the weekend? (Driver)

While every fan hopes Lewis Hamilton can get back to being himself, it's going to be very hard, especially since Charles Leclerc is now firing on all cylinders. Yes, it's a sprint weekend, and this was where Hamilton shined the last time, but it would be very hard to see him replicate that form this time around.