After 109 Grands Prix and a series of negative goals achieved during his Formula 1 career, Lando Norris You love me entered the list of winners of a World Championship race. McLaren returns to success, the last time it was Daniel Ricciardo who triumphed in Monza in 2021, ahead of the British driver.
Lando Norris triumphs in Miami and reveals an omen
If May 5, 2024 is not, so far, the best day of the life of Landau Norris, we’re almost there. The Briton, in his sixth year in Formula 1, achieved his first success in the category. “I’ve been hearing it since this morning that would have been the right day” is the phrase repeated by the Englishman over the radio immediately after crossing the finish line and actually today even fate favored the victory of the McLaren driver.
Not even a poor start compromised the performance victory stage, demonstrating in the free track moments a pace unapproachable even by the three-time world champion, as well as winner of twenty-one of the last twenty-three races on the calendar, Max Verstappen.
McLaren returns to strongly win a Grand Prix, something that hasn’t happened since the Lewis Hamilton era with the Woking team. McLaren’s last success dates back to less than three years ago (even a double) but it was clearly favored by the clash, which made and will make history, between the two drivers vying for the World title: Max Verstappen and Hamilton himself.
A visibly emotional Lando Norris declared just after getting off his MCL38:
What a race! I waited for her for a long time and I finally did it. I’m happy to have brought something to the team. It’s been a long and difficult race but wow, I’m on the top step!
We went well all weekend and already on Friday I was aware that I had a good pace, despite a few mistakes made here and there. Today, however, we managed to put everything together, the strategy was perfect and it paid off. I thank McLaren and in particular my parents.
This victory makes up for some mistakes I made in the past. I’m proud of them (referring to the entire McLaren staff ed.), I stayed here because they believed in me and I believed in them. I will carry this day with me forever.
Nick Heidfeld returns to being the driver with the most podiums and no victories in F1
Lando Norris thus goes to nullify a negative record. At the beginning of this season, with the third Australian position, the McLaren driver had achieved fourteen podiums in Formula 1 (becoming fifteen after China), overtaking Nick Heidfeld as the driver with the highest number of podium finishes without a victory.
A significant burden, considering the various chances the Briton has had over the last few years: from the harakiri of Russia 2021, to the decisive error in qualifying for the last edition of Qatar. Now with a new boost of confidence and a McLaren that flies, Lando Norris can become a serious protagonist of this championship, with Red Bull and Ferrari called to respond in Imola.
On the Santerno route, McLaren will also complete the new evolution on Oscar Piastri’s car and will have the usual three free practice sessions to refine the behavior of what seemed to be almost a b version. Ferrari will respond with a substantial package of updates, with the curiosity to understand if they will be sufficient to at least regain the role of second force.
Samuele Fassino
