Lando Norris Emerges Victorious in First Formula 1 Grand Prix and Receives Universal Acclaim

Norris displayed remarkable performance in his McLaren at the Miami Grand Prix. Initially starting the race in P5 alongside his teammate Oscar Piastri on the third row, it seemed like Verstappen was on course for another easy triumph. The Red Bull lead driver was dominant in the first half of the 57-lap contest, until a safety car incident occurred due to a collision between Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant.

Subsequently, Norris emerged from the pits and returned to the track in the lead position. He capitalized on this opportunity excellently, setting fastest laps effortlessly, thus fueling the creation of several F1 Twitter memes:

The last 24 laps belonged to Lando as he established a considerable lead in front of Verstappen—extending to more than six seconds by the end of the race. There were concerns that incidents further back in the field could lead to more chaos as Norris’ teammate Piastri engaged in intense battles, including collisions with Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and a near miss with fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo. At that moment, McLaren’s radio message to Piastri was clear: “Oscar, remember, Lando is leading the race, let’s avoid any safety car scenarios.” Piastri eventually finished 13th.

Following Norris’ victory, he stands atop the podium for the first time after 110 F1 starts in his career. He becomes the first new race winner since George Russell at Interlagos in 2022 and joins former teammate Sainz (who achieved this feat twice), as the only non-Red Bull driver to secure a Grand Prix victory in the past 18 months. Luckily for Norris, he didn’t have to undergo an appendix removal mere weeks before.

While asserting that this season surpasses the excitement of the previous ones dominated by Verstappen may seem debatable, it’s noteworthy that three different manufacturers have clinched victories in the first six races of 2024: Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren.

Reactions to Norris and his triumph were overwhelmingly positive, coming from various quarters including Norris himself and his team:

Even Verstappen acknowledged Norris during the cooldown lap:

Max and Charles Leclerc completed the podium lineup, dousing Lando with champagne as tradition dictates. The celebrations have just begun for him, and rightfully so. It was a magnificent performance, marking the culmination of the hard work he has put in since venturing into F1 five years ago.

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