McLaren’s Lando Norris won the first Formula 1 race of his career with a shock victory over world champion Max Verstappen at the Miami Grand Prix.
Breathing life into an F1 season that was in danger of becoming a one-man story again, Norris, in his 110th race for McLaren, beat Verstappen by more than seven seconds, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finishing third.
Verstappen, who started on pole, has won four of the first five races of the season and leads the world championship standings.
It seemed like everything was business as usual with the Dutchman, who had won the previous two races in Miami, leading until lap 24 when he stopped and Norris’ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri took the lead.
Australian Piastri himself pitted four laps later, allowing Norris to take the lead and the British driver never looked back.
Crucially, Norris managed to stop during a safety car on lap 30, giving him a valuable time advantage that he never relinquished.
The safety car came after Kevin Magnussen ran over Logan Sargeant, sending the American Williams driver into the wall and bringing out a yellow flag.
Norris, who had 15 podiums before his first victory, made the most of the safety car and with Verstappen struggling to catch up, secured his first victory.
It was the first time Verstappen had been beaten on track to finish the race since Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz won in Singapore in September last year.
Your top ten at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix! #F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/a9zXrQI3t9
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 5, 2024
Norris was hoisted into the air by McLaren mechanics as his long wait for victory in the sport came to an end.
“About time, huh?” said Norris: “I knew on Friday we had rhythm… today we managed to put it together. We had the perfect strategy. It was all worth it,” he added.
“I think a lot of people doubted me along the way. I made a lot of mistakes in the last five years, in my short career, but today we put it all together, so this is everything for the team.
“I stayed with McLaren because I could believe in them and I believed in them and today I proved exactly that,” he added.
Entering the pit lane, Norris was surrounded by his team, congratulated by the other drivers and applauded by a huge crowd at Miami International Speedway.
LANDO NORRIS IS THE WINNER OF THE FORMULA 1 RACE!
LANDO WINS THE #MIAMIGP!!! pic.twitter.com/1wOzrE5vdf
-McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 5, 2024
‘He deserves’
The closest Norris has come to winning a Grand Prix was in Sochi, Russia, in 2021, when he led in the final stages before failing to change his tires at the start of the rain, which cost him dearly.
Verstappen, who complained about a lack of grip in qualifying and during Sunday’s race, said his Red Bull was unable to keep up with Norris when the McLaren driver switched to hard tyres.
“They just had more pace, Lando was flying. It was incredibly difficult for us, but on the bad days, P2, I accept it, right?
“I’m very happy for Lando, it’s been a long time and it won’t be the last. He definitely deserves it,” said the Dutchman.
Very happy to @LandoNorris, Congratulations, mate! For us it wasn’t our strongest race, but I’ll be in P2 today. #Keep pushing pic.twitter.com/mf9Sp0Mlwt
-Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) May 6, 2024
Leclerc echoed those sentiments.
“A lot of times he would run very close to it, but for one reason or another he couldn’t do it. But today he did an incredible job and he was at it all weekend,” said the Ferrari driver.
Just like the first two years of the Miami Grand Prix, held near Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, the race attracted many celebrities.
Former French international player and coach Zinedine Zidane, singer Ed Sheeran, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former US President Donald Trump were among those seen at the race. Trump visited the McLaren garage before the race.
Trump, who visited the McLaren garage before the race, was delighted to support a winner, later telling Norris he was his lucky charm.
“He saw me afterward and came over to congratulate me,” said Norris, who had told his grandmother before coming to Miami that he was going to win a race.
Norris’ parents were ecstatic, even though they weren’t in Miami to witness the moment.
“The cider is flowing in Somerset! A great celebration,” Adam Norris told Sky Sports. “I was calculating that I’ve probably done about 900 races in the last 16 years.
“It’s brilliant. I’m so happy for him.
Anthony Hamilton, another father fundamental to the success of his son – seven-time world champion Lewis – also sent a message of congratulations to Norris.
Norris was still finalizing plans for how he would celebrate his first victory, but he was already thinking about a second victory.
“It only happens once when you get your first win. Tonight will be a good night,” said Norris, confirming that team principal Zak Brown delayed the return flight until Monday so there could be a proper celebration.
You never forget your first!
Congratulations @LandoNorris for your first @F1 career victory! #MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/DOJbihXRO0
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 5, 2024
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
