In the tabloid format, the podium at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix consisted of Max Verstappen in second place for Red Bull Racing, Andrea Stella as McLaren Team Principal, Lando Norris as the race winner for McLaren, and Charles Leclerc in third place for Ferrari. The race took place on May 5, 2024, in Miami, Florida, USA.
Lando Norris expressed his belief in his ability to compete for the victory in the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, even when he found himself in sixth place during the initial laps. Despite starting in fifth position, Norris was overtaken by his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri at the beginning of the race and was trailing behind Sergio Perez from Red Bull Racing in the first stint.
However, Norris decided to extend his initial stint in order to gain the lead once other drivers made their pit stops. He managed to maintain his position at the front when a Safety Car was deployed during the middle of the race. This allowed him to pull away from the rest of the field after the restart and ultimately cross the finish line in first place, securing his first-ever victory in Formula 1 after 110 attempts.
When asked if he felt a sense of relief after the win, Norris responded by saying, “Although I want to say no, the answer is yes. It’s always incredible to achieve that first victory. There have been moments in the past where I’ve come close but haven’t been able to convert it into a win. However, I wasn’t worried. Despite doubts from others, I had confidence in myself and the team’s capabilities. I remained patient and believed in my abilities. I’ve been more confident than ever this year. Throughout the weekend, there was a spark of potential, from practice to qualifying. We were strong on Friday, although we lost some momentum on Saturday. But today, that spark reignited and turned into a fire. It was an incredible race.”
Norris acknowledged that his initial hope of challenging for the lead was dampened at the start but rekindled when he saw Max Verstappen, who had qualified in first position, still in the lead. The driver from McLaren mentioned that he was cautious not to repeat his Turn 1 exit from the Sprint race when he noticed Sergio Perez braking late at the first corner.
“I quickly lost that belief, but I had a momentary flashback to yesterday’s Sprint race when I saw Sergio on the inside,” he explained.
“I thought to myself, let’s try to make it through Turn 1 this time, so I took it easy. I knew we had good pace and I was playing the long game.
I was behind Checo for the entire first stint, but towards the end, my pace was the best on the track and I could still see Max.
And when you can see Max, there’s hope. It’s not often that you can see Max on track.
So I knew the whole time, even when I was in sixth place, that there could be opportunities, whether it was a Safety Car or something going my way.
Towards the end of the first stint, I was very quick, I stayed focused, and everyone ahead of me pitted, allowing me to utilize the considerable pace I had.
Being able to go for a long time on the tires and maintaining the pace I had turned out to be a stroke of luck, I must admit. Sometimes, you need luck on your side and things need to go your way, and that’s what happened today, and I’m grateful for it.
After the Safety Car, I could concentrate and push on confidently, knowing that I could take it from there.”