During the Miami Grand Prix, Lando Norris found himself in the midst of all the drama.
The Miami Grand Prix threw up some surprise results on Sunday – not least at the front of the field – after a shock turn of events in Florida.
However, thanks to a perfectly executed pit stop and an exceptional performance in the second phase of the race, Lando Norris has claimed his first victory on the track, showcasing his incredible skills by moving up from sixth place on the starting grid.
Lando Norris now a Formula 1 race winner with Miami P1 finish
In the beginning, Max Verstappen rapidly accelerated from the starting line. However, his teammate accidentally collided with him while Sergio Perez attempted to overtake the Ferrari duo on the inside of Turn 1.
Oscar Piastri skillfully maneuvered his way through the pack, reaching an impressive third place. Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg pulled off a daring move, overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the first lap and securing a commendable seventh position.
In an impressive start, the Australian driver, Piastri, skillfully kept Charles Leclerc within reach during the initial laps and swiftly climbed up the ranks to secure second place.
After engaging in intense competition for 10 laps, Hamilton managed to overtake Hulkenberg’s Haas car as the initial phase progressed. The seven-time World Champion made a strategic decision to employ hard tyres, while others opted for mediums.
Verstappen encountered a setback during the race when he collided with the bollard positioned at the apex of the Turn 14/15 chicane. The impact caused the bollard to attach to his front wing, which remained attached until the exit of Turn 16, leaving debris on the track surface.
As a result, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, and Kevin Magnussen capitalized on the opportunity and made pit stops during the short Virtual Safety Car intervention.
However, Norris opted to extend his first stint, allowing him to stay on the track. As fate would have it, a collision occurred between Logan Sargeant and Magnussen, resulting in the Williams driver’s unfortunate exit from the race. The incident took place when their wheels clashed at Turn 3, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car. Thankfully, this turn of events provided Norris with a significant advantage, enabling him to maintain his lead.
As Verstappen grappled with the difficulties of maneuvering his RB20, he expressed his dissatisfaction by describing his car as a “disaster,” while Norris effortlessly achieved a series of fastest laps.
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The interaction between Sainz and Piastri resulted in the McLaren driver being compelled to make a pit stop for a replacement front wing. Additionally, Magnussen incurred further time penalties due to his collision with Sargeant and his subsequent failure to appropriately serve his initial penalty.
Norris maintained his lead at the front, steadily increasing the gap to over five seconds ahead of Verstappen as the final 10 laps approached. The McLaren garage was filled with palpable nerves as Norris aimed to secure his first victory.
However, instead of being discouraged by the pressure, he persevered and widened the gap between himself and Verstappen, ultimately securing a well-deserved and hard-fought victory in the Miami Grand Prix.
Race results: 2024 Miami Grand Prix
1 Lando NORRIS McLaren 1:30:49.876 57 laps
2 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull +7.612
3 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +9.920
4 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull +14.650
5 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +16.407***
6 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +16.585
7 Yuki TSUNODA RB +26.185
8 George RUSSELL Mercedes +34.789
9 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +37.107
10 Esteban OCON Alpine +39.746
11 Nico HULKENBERG Haas +40.789
12 Pierre GASLY Alpine +44.958
13 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +49.756
14 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +49.979
15 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +50.956
16 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber +52.356
17 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +65.173*
18 Alexander ALBON Williams +76.091
19 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas +84.683**
20 Logan SARGEANT Williams DNF
*10-second penalty applied after the race
**20-second penalty applied after the race
*** 5-second penalty applied after the race
Drivers’ Championship standings
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 136
2 Sergio Perez Red Bull 103
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 98
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 83
5 Lando Norris McLaren 83
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 41
7 George Russell Mercedes 37
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 33
9 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 27
10 Yuki Tsunoda RB 14
11 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 9
12 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 6
13 Oliver Bearman Ferrari 6
14 Daniel Ricciardo RB 5
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1
16 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1
17 Alex Albon Williams 0
18 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber 0
19 Pierre Gasly Alpine 0
20 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber 0
21 Logan Sargeant Williams 0
Constructors’ Championship standings
1 Red Bull 239
2 Ferrari 187
3 McLaren 124
4 Mercedes 64
5 Aston Martin 42
6 RB 19
7 Haas 7
8 Alpine 1
9 Williams 0
10 Kick Sauber 0
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