It was a tough road but Lando Norris has finally done it. The McLaren Formula 1 driver can finally call himself a race winner after competing in the pinnacle of motorsport for a little over five years. It was not the best weekend after qualifying fifth behind Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. But, the good in-race calls made by Andrea Stella and insanely fast pit stops by the McLaren team allowed the British driver to take over in the late stages of the Miami Grand Prix.
Lando Norris is now the 21st British driver ever to become a Formula 1 race winner. The last Brit to do so is his fellow 2019 debutant, George Russell. That happened way back in the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. This triumphant moment in the Miami Grand Prix also gets McLaren its first win in nearly three years. The last Papaya driver to do it? His former teammate Daniel Ricciardo during the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
This moment had Formula 1 fans going all sorts of insane. The fact that he also joins Carlos Sainz as the only two drivers to get a win in the era of Red Bull and Max Verstappen's dominance made it all the sweeter to hear the British National Anthem at the Miami Grand Prix.
“And @LandoNorris SO F***ING PROUD OF YOU!! You did it! Your first win race!! Amazing race and an amazing result. Let's prepare for your next win races!” a user wrote.
Some of the McLaren faithful were just glad that the new star of their team finally got over the hump, “It took 5 years for Lando to win, but it felt SO SO GOOD, srsly, the wait made it more special, my god, I'm so proud of you, @LandoNorris. #MiamiGP.”
Others were more hyped about how the McLaren Formula 1 driver kept his cool despite Max Verstappen chasing him down the whole time, “After racking up a record 15 winless podiums, Lando Norris has finally won his first Formula 1 race! Incredible pace & didn’t make a single mistake when leading ahead of Max Verstappen. What a drive.”
Lando Norris, McLaren's astounding strategy to notch a first Formula 1 win
Qualifying fifth at the start of the Miami Grand Prix weekend is not ideal. Often, the foregone conclusion is that Max Verstappen is likely going to run away with the race win after notching pole position. But, it was just not fate after the race had to slow down for a while due to a safety car.
McLaren took advantage after the current Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion got picked up by the safety car. Instead of following the Dutch driver outside, Norris and McLaren decided to pit for new tires. This closed the gap between the two. Verstappen eventually had to give up the lead such that he could head to the pit lane anyway. Eventually, the British Formula 1 driver was able to hold the lead and secure his maiden win.
In the words of Charles Leclerc, “Lando, we can be a world champion, I said.”
Those words might just slowly come true if McLaren continues their resurgence in Formula 1.
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