F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lando Norris Beats Max Verstappen to Win his First Formula 1 Race
Lando Norris was beaming over the radio after winning the F1 Miami Grand Prix, thanking his McLaren crew for a flawless strategy.
By Divyam Dubey
At the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, a dramatic turn of events saw Lando Norris win his first Formula 1 race. With the help of a mid-race safety car intervention, McLaren passed Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The win ends Norris' record for most podium finishes without a Grand Prix win, and it's McLaren's first win in a race with a rich history for the team. After a mid-race incident ended Verstappen's chances of winning his fifth race in six, McLaren was able to take the lead during the safety car period. Norris made a faultless pit stop and emerged from the mayhem in command. The McLaren moved away, and even though Verstappen was after a Miami hat-trick, Norris skillfully held his ground. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished a creditable third, followed closely by his teammate Carlos Sainz, who was later dropped to fifth because of a post-race penalty.
F1 Miami Grand Prix: Race Result
Ferrari finished third in Miami, with Charles Leclerc taking the final podium spot. In the meantime, Carlos Sainz battled fiercely with Piastri and finished fourth, but Piastri suffered front wing damage, meaning he couldn't get any points. Capitalising on the mayhem, Sergio Perez finished sixth and led the charge ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.
Also Read: F1 Miami GP: Verstappen Wins the Sprint Race; Leclerc, Perez Complete Podium
Like Norris, Yuki Tsunoda of VCARB benefited from the safety car intervention, finishing eighth after an outstanding first stint. The Mercedes of George Russell came in eighth, followed by Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, who scored Alpine's first point of the season.
At first, expecting to place in the top 10, Haas was disappointed when Nico Hulkenberg dropped down the order and finished in 11th place, barely ahead of Pierre Gasly's Alpine.
Daniel Ricciardo finished in 15th place after a strong Sprint performance. After a furious fight between Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, Stroll got a 10-second penalty.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap |
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 57 Laps |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 7.612s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari | 9.920s |
| 4 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | 14.650s |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Scuderia Ferrari | 16.407s |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes F1 Team | 16.585s |
| 7 | Yuki Tsunoda | VCARB | 26.185s |
| 8 | George Russell | Mercedes F1 Team | 34.789s |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin F1 Team | 37.107s |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine F1 Team | 39.746s |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas F1 Team | 40.789s |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine F1 Team | 44.958s |
| 13 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren F1 Team | 49.756s |
| 14 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 49.979s |
| 15 | Daniel Ricciardo | VCARB | 50.956s |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 52.356s |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin F1 Team | 55.173s |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams Racing | 76.091s |
| 19 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas F1 Team | 84.683s |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Racing | DNF |
Also Read: F1: Sebastian Vettel to Drive Senna's 1993 McLaren MP4/8 at Imola Grand Prix
Emotions were running high for Norris as the drivers headed back to the pits, and he, his race engineer, and team manager Zak Brown celebrated a historic win—McLaren's first Grand Prix victory since Monza in 2021—over the radio.
