Lando Norris Claims Inaugural F1 Victory in Thrilling Miami Grand Prix
Lando Norris of McLaren finally clinched his first Formula One victory in a dramatic Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. The British driver held off a relentless Max Verstappen to secure the win, ending a long wait after 15 podium finishes and eight agonizing second-place finishes in 110 races.
Verstappen, the reigning triple world champion, seemed poised for his fifth victory in six races until a mid-race crash shuffled the standings. McLaren capitalized during the safety car period, with Norris strategically pitting and emerging in the lead. Despite Verstappen's relentless pursuit after the restart, Norris held on for a well-deserved victory.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc completed the podium, followed by Carlos Sainz. However, Sainz received a five-second penalty for a collision with McLaren's Oscar Piastri, dropping him to fifth. Sergio Perez, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, benefited from the penalty and finished fourth.
An elated Norris expressed his joy after the race, stating, "About time! What a race. It's been a long time coming. Finally, I've managed to do it. I'm so happy for my whole team. I finally delivered for them." He continued, "Long day, tough race. Finally on top, so I'm over the moon. I'm just proud. A lot of people doubted me along the way. I've made a lot of mistakes over my last five years in my short career but today we put it all together."
The victory scene at the Miami International Autodrome was electric, with Norris receiving jubilant congratulations from his team and fellow drivers.
Verstappen's second-place finish maintained his comfortable 35-point lead over Perez in the drivers' standings. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes secured sixth place, followed by Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda and Mercedes' George Russell. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin claimed ninth place, while Esteban Ocon secured Alpine's first point of the season by finishing tenth.
Verstappen acknowledged the unpredictable nature of motorsport, stating, "You win, you lose. I think we’re all used to that in racing, right? Today was just a bit tricky. If a bad day is P2, I take it. I’m very happy for Lando. It’s been a long time coming and it’s not going to be his last one, so he definitely deserves it today.