Lando Norris finally ended his wait for a Formula 1 win on Sunday night as he secured victory for McLaren at the Miami Grand Prix.
Starting down in fifth on the grid, the British driver was expected to challenge for the podium places, yet not challenge Max Verstappen who had dominated the Sprint and qualifying.
However, Norris took advantage of a safety car to get his nose in front, and he never relented as Red Bull's Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc struggled to keep pace with him during the closing 27 laps.
The win marked McLaren's first time at the top of the podium since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, when Norris finished second behind Daniel Ricciardo.
Access all areas at @McLarenF1's celebrations 🎬
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 6, 2024
How many bottles of @FerrariTrento did you get through, Lando? 😅#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/xmTsbczMuV
How did Norris, McLaren, Verstappen react?
Norris's triumph built on the second that he earned last time out in China, and the 24-year-old felt that his team managed to put together "the perfect strategy".
Speaking after the race, Norris said: "The whole weekend has been good. I've had a few setbacks along the way.
"I knew on Friday we had the pace and just a couple of mistakes here and there but today we managed to put it together, we put the perfect strategy, it all paid off and thanks to McLaren and everyone and I have to give a shout out to my mum and dad of course."
Addressing McLaren, he added: "What do I say to them huh? I'm just proud really, I mean a lot of people doubted me along the way, I've made a lot of mistakes over the last five years, my short career but today we put it altogether so this is all for the team.
"I stuck with McLaren because I believed in them and today proved exactly that."
You didn't dream it. It happened.
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 6, 2024
Good morning, @LandoNorris 😁#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/2nX5qImejK
Team principal Andrea Stella could also not hide his delight at the win, heaping praise on the team as a whole as they delivered one of their most famous victories in recent memory.
He said: "The victory for Lando, he deserved it so much and we always said as soon as we give him the right material he's going to make it and he made it.
"I know what kind of work is behind it, it's so deserved for the McLaren team, I hope everyone enjoys this moment."
Your top ten in the 2024 Miami Grand Prix! 🌴#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/a9zXrQI3t9
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 5, 2024
Although Verstappen failed to win an F1 race for the second time this season, the Dutchman was magnanimous in defeat, accepting a rare second place on a day when the consensus was that Red Bull were not at their best.
He said: "You win, you lose. We're all used to that in racing. Today was already quite tricky. The medium tyres didn't feel fantastic. Once we made a pitstop, I heard the lap times the McLarens were doing and thought 'wow, they're quick'.
"The hard tyres had more pace. Lando was flying. It was incredibly hard for us in that stint. If a bad day is P2, I'll take it. I'm very happy for Lando, it's been a long time coming and it's not gonna be his last one. He definitely deserves it today."
How does the Drivers' standings look?
Even with the win in the USA, Norris only moves up to fourth place in the standings, alongside Carlos Sainz Jr on 83 points.
Verstappen was still able to extend his lead over Sergio Perez to 33 points, with Leclerc now just five points adrift of the second-placed man.
Further down the rankings, Oscar Piastri is the best of the rest in sixth, but a massive 42 points adrift of his McLaren teammate and Sainz Jr.
Darren Plant
