Lando Norris claims maiden victory at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix

Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2024/Red Bull Content Pool

MIAMI, United States -- In an electrifying race on May 5, 2024, Lando Norris of McLaren secured his first career Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix, marking a milestone for both the driver and the McLaren team. The 24-year-old British driver showcased exceptional skill and strategy to dominate the latter half of the race, crossing the finish line ahead of seasoned competitors.

Check out the results of the Miami Grand Prix weekend in the United States, including the race results, qualifying times, and practice sessions

After a challenging sprint qualifying session, Norris quickly maneuvered through the field. The race saw its fair share of dramatic moments, including a first-lap incident where Sergio Perez nearly collided with his Red Bull Racing teammate Max Verstappen at Turn 1, causing a ripple effect throughout the pack. Perez managed to continue, but the incident underscored the tense atmosphere of the race.

Norris capitalized on his McLaren's recent upgrades, which played a pivotal role in his competitive edge. His consistency and pace, especially in the second half of the race, allowed him to build and maintain a comfortable lead. This victory not only highlights Norris' potential as a future championship contender but also marks a significant achievement for McLaren, reflecting the team's progress and resilience.

In a dramatic turn of events on Lap 28, the race was altered by a collision between Logan Sargeant of Williams and Kevin Magnussen of Haas. This pivotal moment not only changed the course of the race but also set the stage for McLaren driver.

Norris took advantage of a timely Safety Car, and pause in racing action enabled Norris a free pit-stop and allowed him to restart ahead of race leader Verstappen —a position he maintained to the end.

Norris shouting: "WOOOOOOOOOO! WOOOOOOOOO! About f---ing time!" on the team radio after the finish.

"I guess that's how it's done. Finally! Finally! I'm so happy. I knew it when I came in this morning, I said today is the day of opportunity and I nailed it, and you nailed it."

After the race Norris said. “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.”

Norris gave a message to the team, he said: "I'm just proud really, 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, so this is all for the team. I stuck with McLaren because I believed in them and I did believe in them and today proved exactly that."

Max Verstappen, the defending world champion, finished second after a strong but ultimately unsuccessful bid to catch Norris in the closing laps. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium, demonstrating Ferrari's continued competitiveness this season.

After the race Verstappen said: "I mean, you win, you lose, we're all used to that in racing. Today was just a bit tricky. I think today on the mediums it didn't feel fantastic, we were pulling away but not like it should be and then once we made a pit stop. I heard what time the lap times the McLarens were doing and I was like 'yeah that's pretty quick'. Once they [McLaren] switched over to the hard tyre they were pretty quick, especially Lando, he was flying.”

"If a bad day is P2, then I take it. I'm very happy for Lando, it's been a long time coming. This isn't going to be his last one, he deserves it definitely.” Verstappen added.

Lando Norris of McLaren showcased an impeccable performance with a race time of 1:30:49.876, securing 25 points. Max Verstappen driving Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT finished second, 7.612 seconds behind Norris. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari rounded off the top three trailing the leader by 9.920 seconds.

Verstappen leads the drivers championship with 136 points, and Norris moves up to fifth with 83 points.

The 2024 Miami Grand Prix also set a new record for television viewership in the United States, with 3.1 million viewers tuning in to watch the race live. This milestone highlights the growing popularity of Formula 1 in America, boosted by thrilling races and the sport's expanding footprint in the region.

In addition to Norris' historic win, the race weekend featured noteworthy performances from other drivers.

Sergio Perez secured fourth place, followed by Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in fifth. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell of Mercedes secured valuable points, finishing sixth and eighth, respectively. Yuki Tsunoda achieved seventh place and scored points for RB, ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, and Alpine's Esteban Ocon, both of whom finished in the top ten.

As the Formula 1 season progresses, all eyes will be on Lando Norris and McLaren to see if they can build on this momentum and challenge the established front-runners in the championship standings.

The next race is in Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy on May 19.

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