Lando Norris wins Miami Grand Prix for his first career F1 victory
Oct 22, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris (4) of Team Great Britain smiles to the crowd after he comes in third place in the 2023 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Lando Norris took home his first ever first-place finish in an F1 race with a win at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. The win not only was his first, but it also breaks Norris’ streak of 15 podiums without a P1 finish.
Staying out longer on an older set of tires, McLaren and Norris gambled that a safety car might come out. Their gamble paid off when a safety car came out as a result of a crash between Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen. Thanks to the safety car, Norris was able to pit and come out on a fresh set of tires ahead of Max Verstappen.
Upon the restart, Norris was able to maintain his pace and open up a lead on a course where overtaking is considered difficult, allowing Norris to remain in first while relegating Verstappen to P2.
Norris now becomes the 3rd driver that has been able to unseat Verstappen since the beginning of the 2023 season.
Rounding out the podium in P3 was Charles Leclerc.
Despite the recent announcement of legendary race car engineer Adrian Newey’s departure, Red Bull still remains the team to beat in 2024, with Ferrari and McLaren beginning to close the gap among the top three teams.
