Lando Norris learned from his previous celebrations and may opt for a more subdued approach after clinching his first-ever Formula 1 victory. His reaction after winning the Miami Grand Prix suggested the British driver is ready to keep the momentum going.
“Tonight’s going to be a blast,” Norris declared. “I’m truly proud. Along the way, many people doubted me. I’ve had my fair share of slip-ups in my relatively short career, but today, everything fell into place, and it’s all thanks to the team. I chose McLaren because I believe in them, and today just proved why.”
Norris secured his victory in his 110th race start after a mistake by Max Verstappen disrupted Verstappen’s dominance at the track located around Hard Rock Stadium’s parking lot.
The 24-year-old driver dashed down the pit lane to embrace his McLaren crew, who then lifted him up in celebration until he reached team boss Zak Brown, who gave him a warm hug.
Norris came to Miami with a bandaged nose, sporting stitches from a cut caused by broken glass during a post-F1 event in Amsterdam. He sustained the injury while celebrating King’s Day with DJ Martin Garrix. “I’m ready to party all night,” Norris declared, hinting at more than just a bandage on his nose for the celebrations ahead.
Verstappen, who started at the front and won Saturday’s sprint race, was leading until he made a mistake, hitting a chicane and displacing a cone on the track. This error forced the three-time F1 champion to pit, handing the lead to Norris.
Norris then maintained control of the race, securing McLaren’s first victory since Daniel Ricciardo’s win in 2021. Ricciardo was among the drivers who embraced Norris in congratulations after the race.
Norris becomes only the second British driver in F1 history to be honored on the podium with “God Save the King.” George Russell in 2022 is the other British driver to win outside of Queen Elizabeth’s reign; his victory in Brazil came two months after her passing.
The anthem appeared to move Norris, who closed his eyes with a wide grin as he looked towards the sky.
During the champagne celebration, Verstappen and third-place finisher Charles Leclerc sprayed champagne into Norris’ eyes. After taking a moment to clear his eyes, Norris forcefully smashed his champagne bottle on the ground, spraying his McLaren team below the podium. He also tossed the winning trophy into the air, catching it.
With approximately 10 laps remaining, Norris realized he was in a strong position to win when his lead over Verstappen reached 5 seconds.
“Five seconds?” Norris radioed his team. “Am I alive?” Indeed, he was, as a thrilled McLaren team celebrated a rare victory, showcasing significant upgrades on its cars over the weekend.
McLaren now shares a record with Ferrari, boasting 13 wins in races held in the United States. However, this victory marks their first on American soil since Lewis Hamilton’s triumph at Circuit of the Americas in 2012.
Norris secured victory with a final margin of 7.6 seconds over Verstappen from Red Bull, who had previously been unbeaten in Miami, winning the first two races and the sprint race on Saturday.
Norris expressed confidence from the start of the day, stating, “Finally. I am so happy. I knew it. I knew it when I came in this morning. And I nailed it.”
In the past two months, McLaren has triumphed in F1, Formula E, and IndyCar races. Norris becomes the first driver since Carlos Sainz Jr. to defeat Verstappen this season — and Verstappen’s only defeat came in Melbourne due to a mechanical failure.
Verstappen accepted the outcome graciously, stating, “You win. You lose. I think we’re all a bit used to that in racing. Is a bad day P2? I will take it. I am happy for Lando; it’s been a long time coming, and there’s more to come from him.”
Regarding his incident at the chicane, Verstappen attempted to make light of it by joking about hitting the cone. “I didn’t like it. So I took it out,” he remarked. “And tested the front wing. So crash-test done.”
Prior to the race, McLaren hosted former President Donald Trump, who conversed with F1 officials inside their garage. As he made his way to the starting grid, fans began chanting “USA! USA!” and Trump acknowledged the cheers with a fist pump.
Ferrari drivers Leclerc and Sainz finished third and fourth, followed by Sergio Perez from Red Bull. Hamilton finished sixth for Mercedes, with Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull’s junior team in seventh, and Russell in eighth for Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin and Esteban Ocon from Alpine completed the top 10. Ocon achieved this with team investors Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce from the Kansas City Chiefs present.
Midway through the race, Logan Sargeant crashed, bringing out the safety car, which forced the Pompano Beach native out of his car.
The 23-year-old, the only American driver on the F1 grid, is holding onto his seat with Williams amid speculation that he could be replaced before the end of his second season. It was Sargeant’s second consecutive finish at the bottom in his hometown race.
Sargeant’s crash shifted the race strategy to McLaren, who held the lead with Norris when the caution came out. Norris had taken the lead when Verstappen had to pit after hitting a chicane, causing a cone to land on the track.
While Red Bull checked for damage to Verstappen’s front wing, a race marshal quickly removed the cone from the track, avoiding the need for a safety car.
However, moments later, Kevin Magnussen collided with Sargeant, allowing McLaren to plan their victory strategy against Verstappen.
For Magnussen, it added to a tough weekend where he was accused of unsportsmanlike conduct for his strategy in Saturday’s sprint race.
