Lando Norris triumphs at Miami Grand Prix in maiden F1 race win
Lando Norris triumphs at Miami Grand Prix in maiden F1 race win
Lando Norris claimed a sensational breakthrough F1 race win at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
Fast-starting teammate Oscar Piastri appeared to be the McLaren driver most likely to trigger an upset early in the race, while Norris ran sixth in the early going.
Lando Norris wins Miami Grand Prix to end long wait for F1 win
However, a safety car at the halfway mark played well into the hands of the Briton when he prolonged his first stint out on track.
Championship leader Max Verstappen was relegated to second after stopping during regular racing conditions, and although the Red Bull driver made an early charge on the restart, Norris was able to hold onto the lead and eventually pull away.
After a cool, composed performance and Verstappen’s balancing issues, Norris was able to defeat the ghosts of his close call at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix and win a race for the first time at the 110th attempt.
“About time!” Norris smiled afterwards. “What a race. It’s been a long time coming, but finally I’ve managed to do it. I’m so happy for my whole team, I finally delivered for them. A long day, tough race, but finally on top, so I’m over the moon.”
Verstappen extends championship lead despite issues
Verstappen lamented the appearance of the safety car and the technical issues that beset Red Bull on the day. However, he would congratulate Norris on breaking his duck.
“Ultimately today we were not quick enough; the safety car did not help us but we still had plenty of opportunities to win the race and unfortunately we lacked pace,” Verstappen said.
“When we took the car back to the garage, we also found that the floor was damaged and had a hole in which could have been picked up from hitting the cone.
“We also struggled with the tyres and balance of the car all weekend and I never felt too comfortable in the car. In the high speed I was understeering and we also struggled a lot with the grip with the tyres. It wasn’t our best weekend and it really shows that everything needs to work well to win races and it is not as easy as people might think. However, I am happy for Lando. Your first win is always emotional and he drove a great race: it was a long time coming and he deserved it today.”
Miami Grand Prix results
Results from Formula One Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, the sixth race of the 2024 season:
1. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) 308 km in 1 h 30:49.876, 2. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) at 7.612, 3. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) at 9.920, 4.Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull) at 14.650
5. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) at 16.407*
6. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes-AMG) at 16.585, 7. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/Racing Bulls) at 26.185, 8. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) at 34.789, 9. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin) at 37.107 10. Estéban Ocon (FRA/Alpine) at 39.746, 11. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Haas) at 40.789, 12. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine) at 44.958, 13. Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) at 49.756, 14. Guanyu Zhou (CHN/Sauber) at 49.979, 15. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Racing Bulls) at 50.956, 16. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Sauber) at 52.356, 17. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) at 55.173, 18. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) at 1:04.683, 19. Alexander Albon (THA/Williams) at 1:16.091l, Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams) Did Not Finish.
Fastest Lap: Piastri 1min 30.634
* Sainz handed a five second penalty by stewards after he was deemed to have caused a collision with Oscar Piastri.
World Championship Standings
Drivers:
1. Max Verstappen (NED) 136 pts, 2. Sergio Perez (MEX) 103, 3. Charles Leclerc (MON) 98, 4. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 83, 5. Lando Norris (GBR) 83, 6. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 41, 7. George Russell (GBR) 37, 8. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 33, 9. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 27, 10. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 14, 11. Lance Stroll (CAN) 9, 12. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 6, 13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER) 6, 14. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 5, 15. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 1, 16. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 1
Constructors:
1. Red Bull 239 pts, 2. Ferrari 187, 3. McLaren 124, 4. Mercedes 64, 5. Aston Martin 42, 6. Racing Bulls 19,
7. Haas 7, 8. Alpine 1