Lando Norris put McLaren back on top in Miami for his first F1 victory.
In a race filled with twists and turns, Lando Norris emerged triumphant at the 2024 F1 Miami Grand Prix. Norris showcased remarkable poise and capitalized on strategy to seal his first victory in Formula One. Norris took advantage of a pivotal moment during a safety car period to make a decisive pitstop, setting up his appearance on the top step of the podium. Our 2024 Miami F1 Race Review is here.
After the race, a jubilant Norris had this to say about his first win:
“About time, huh? What a race, it’s been a long time coming and finally I’ve managed to do it – so I’m so happy for my whole team, I’ve finally delivered for them. A long day, tough race but finally on top so I’m over the moon.”
As the lights went out, Max Verstappen led the charge from pole position, with his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in hot pursuit. However, a divebomb attempt by Perez at Turn 1 resulted in chaos, pushing both the Ferraris and Norris wide. Charles Leclerc managed to regain second place, while Oscar Piastri found himself quickly up the order.
Piastri delivered a standout start, snatching third place from Carlos Sainz on the opening lap. Perez was able to recover in fifth just ahead of Norris.
Fierce Battles For Position
As well on the opening lap, the Alpine teammates showed no mercy to one other. Pierre Gasly and Estoban Ocon challenged themselves in Turns 13 through 16. At one point, the French pair tested the limits of the track and went side by side into Turns 14 and 15. This narrow back end of the circuit is normally meant for one car but somehow the two managed to go at it together without being taken out.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton faced a fierce battle with Nico Hulkenberg. On lap 7, Hamilton squeezed his way ahead of Hulkenberg but not without risking a big crash as the Mercedes driver reported over team radio. Struggling a bit, the seven-time world champion surrendered seventh place after locking up six corners later. Ultimately, Hamilton recovered three laps later to take back seventh.
Norris Unleashed
The beginning of a dramatic turn in the race as Norris began to hound Perez for fifth place. Eventually, Perez was the first to pit, this gave Norris the clean air. Released, team radio signaled him not to worry about Perez and go to after Sainz. With all the confidence, The British McLaren driver agreed and went for the charge. Norris immediately set the fastest lap and closed in on Sainz.
Verstappen Off Course
A pivotal moment came when Verstappen collected a bollard at Turn 15. The replayed showed the bollard caught up in the front wing and suspension of the Red Bull car and causing a bit of floor damage. This incident prompted a brief virtual safety car period to clear the bollard. Despite the slowdown, none of the cars in front were able to take advantage of a free pitstop.
The Safety Car of Dreams
As the race unfolded, Vertappen pitted on lap 23 and Sainz went for his tire change on lap 28. Norris’s long-running strategy paid off, Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Logan Sargeant collided at Turn 3. The incident brought out a full safety car after Sargent slammed tail first into the wall. This allowed Norris to save time on a pitstop under the safety car. The McLaren driver capitalized on the opportunity, rejoining the race well clear of Verstappen in the lead.
After the safety car retuned to the pits, Norris led from the restart ahead of Verstappen and Leclearc. Further down the order, Tsunoda was able to take seventh away from Hamilton at the first restart lap.
This was when Norris distanced himself from Verstappen’s ability to gain DRS. He executed an exceptional opening lap from the restart.
Closing of the Race
In a close battle for fourth, Sainz and Piastri engaged in a robust duel, with contact at Turn 17. Then later when the number 81 McLaren fought closely with VCARB’s Daniel Ricciardo, Piastri’s team radio pleaded with the Australian driver to not cause another safety car in hopes to bring Norris home the win. However, it was Perez and Hamilton who ultimately capitalized on Piastri’s unfortunate car damage from the collision. The two advancing to fifth and sixth place, respectively.
As the checkered flag waved, Norris crossed the finish line with a solid lead, securing his first victory with an impressive margin ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc. Sainz initially finished fourth but was penalized by the stewards, dropping him to fifth behind Perez. Yuki Tsunoda secured seventh place, followed by Russell, Alonso, and Ocon rounding off the top ten.
The full order of the result in Miami can be found here.
The 2024 F1 Miami Grand Prix delivered plenty of action and unexpected twists. We all knew Norris was capable of becoming a race winner, it was just a matter of when. In the heat of South Florida, Norris basked in the shine of victory.
