At the Miami Grand Prix this weekend, McLaren driver Lando Norris took his first win in Formula 1, the breakthrough that he had been waiting for.
In the 115 Grand Prix that Norris participated in, he placed himself on the podium 15 times without winning.
This time, the British driver capitalized on a critical safety car deployment to lead the race and become the 21st British driver to win a Grand Prix.
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Lando Norris’ climb to victory
Starting sixth on the grid, Norris patiently weaved his way through the pack and overtook Sergio Perez’s Red Bull.
Once ahead, Norris let loose the power of his upgraded McLaren and smashed in a couple of fastest laps to catch up with the Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz, and found himself leading the race after all the cars ahead made their sole pit stop.
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Controversial safety car incident at Miami
On the 28th lap, the race made a key turn when the safety car was deployed due to the accident between Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Logan Sargeant (Williams).
This incident was a gift for Norris; it allowed him to make a “free” pit stop and return to the track as a leader without losing any time.
The drama started when the safety car was placed incorrectly in front of Max Verstappen rather than race leader Norris.
This enabled Norris not to lose time at the pit stop.
Notwithstanding the chaos, the 24-year-old never lost his nerve, kept the raging Verstappen at bay once the safety car eventually went in, and pushed with impressive speed, setting his fastest lap multiple times, to finish ahead of Verstappen.
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Norris’s Reaction
Norris’s win was a defining moment. “I don’t know what I’m feeling! I’m just happy, proud. It feels like it’s been a long time coming.” Norris told Sky Sports F1.
“ I feel like we’ve had many opportunities. We’ve been getting closer and closer. We’ve never been able to put it all together, and today was that day.”
Verstappen’s Frustration and Leclerc’s Podium Finish
Finishing in second place, Verstappen complained about how his car had been performing all weekend despite winning the sprint race and being the pole sitter.
The Dutchman struggled to keep pace with Norris and had to settle for second place, crossing the line 8 seconds after the McLaren driver.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished on the podium as he claimed third place, narrowing Red Bull’s advantage and being a mere two seconds behind Verstappen.
Alpine Scores First Points
Alpine earned their first point of the season, with Esteban Ocon finishing 10th, while Pierre Gasly ended up 12th.
The team had a very challenging start to the season, but their performance in Miami showed signs of recovery.
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Penalties and Unfortunate Incidents
Carlos Sainz finished in fourth but was downgraded to fifth after a 5-second penalty for an accident with Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate.
The Australian’s car had front-wing damage, which led him to pit and return at the tail end of the field, finishing in 13th place.
Kevin Magnussen was given many penalties during the race. Following the 35-second penalty in the sprint, he was given a further 10-second penalty for an incident with Logan Sargeant.
Then, he was awarded another 20-second penalty for the bad pit stop. Such penalties left him in the 19th position, reflecting a tough weekend for the Haas driver.