I predicted the correct drivers on the podium, but Lando Norris is the number-one stunner in Miami.
In a race that was nothing short of a battle, Lando Norris emerged victorious, outpacing the formidable Max Verstappen and securing his first-ever Miami Grand Prix win.
“We did it,” Norris exclaimed triumphantly to his team over the radio, his voice filled with elation, from the winning McLaren.
It is the first Grand Prix win of Norris’ career.
Insights and forcecasting the victor of FORMULA 1 MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2024
“My nerves were not good, but the car was great,” Zak Brown, McLaren racing CEO.
McLaren brought ten upgrades to the winning car this weekend.
Verstappen finished 2nd with Red Bull Racing, and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari took P-3.
“I’m over the moon,” Norris said.
Norris started sixth, but after a collision between Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Hass’ Kevin Magnussen on lap 28, the safety car gave Norris a free pit stop, allowing him to restart ahead of Verstappen.
“If a bad day is P-2, I will take it,” Verstappen said post-race.
Verstappen finished 7.6 seconds behind Norris.
“Today, we were missing pace,” Leclerc said. “I’m very happy for Lando; he deserves it.”
Norris held the record for 15 podium finishes without a victory. He is now the 21st driver from the United Kingdom to win a Formula Grand Prix.
“About time,” said Norris after winning at the 110th attempt. “What a race. It’s been a long time coming, but finally I’ve managed to do it, so I’m so happy for my whole team. I finally delivered for them. And, yeah, long day, tough race, but finally on top, so I’m over the moon.”
At the start of the race, when the lights went out, Verstappen made an impressive start and swiftly took the lead heading into Turn 1. However, Leclerc struggled with his launch and, under pressure from his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, attempted to defend his position by moving to the right. Pérez attempted a bold move on the inside but misjudged his braking and slid across the track, obstructing Sainz. This incident allowed Leclerc to recover and reclaim second place. Meanwhile, as Sainz and Pérez rejoined the race, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri seized the opportunity to pass both drivers and secure third place.
At the forefront of the race, Verstappen started to extend his lead over the competition. Meanwhile, Piastri demonstrated McLaren’s impressive speed by reducing the gap to Leclerc. By lap four, the Australian took advantage of DRS to overtake the Ferrari driver during the lengthy stretch leading to Turn 17.
The leaders commenced their initial phase, and by lap 10, Verstappen had established a three-second lead over Piastri. In turn, Piastri maintained a comparable advantage over Leclerc and Sainz from Ferrari. Meanwhile, Pérez secured fifth place, trailing Sainz by 1.7 seconds, just ahead of Norris.
At the conclusion of lap 18, Pérez was the first among the leading drivers to enter the pit for a tire change, opting for Hard compound Pirellis during a quick 1.9-second stop. Leclerc followed suit two laps later; however, Verstappen, Piastri, Sainz, and Norris chose to stay out on the track. Verstappen encountered a challenge when he took a corner too aggressively at Turn 14, causing him to bounce over the chicane and strike an off-track bollard.
Fortunately, the impact resulted in minimal damage; however, as the bollard was situated on the racing line, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was briefly activated. Once the caution was lifted, Verstappen proceeded to pit for an inspection of his front wing and to change to Hard tires. This strategy allowed Piastri to ascend to the lead, followed by Sainz. Subsequently, when they completed their pit stops on lap 27, Norris took over the lead ahead of Verstappen.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix – Race
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 57 1:30’49.876
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 57 1:30’57.488 7.612
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 1:30’59.796 9.920
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 1:31’01.283 11.407
5 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 57 1:31’04.526 14.650
6 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 1:31’06.461 16.585
7 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 57 1:31’16.061 26.185
8 George Russell Mercedes 57 1:31’24.665 34.789
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 1:31’26.983 37.107
10 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 57 1:31’29.622 39.746
11 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 57 1:31’30.665 40.789
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 57 1:31’34.834 44.958
13 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 57 1:31’39.632 49.756
14 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 57 1:31’39.855 49.979
15 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 57 1:31’40.832 50.956
16 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 57 1:31’42.232 52.356
17 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 1:31’45.049 55.173
18 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 57 1:31’54.559 1’04.683
19 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 57 1:32’05.967 1’16.091
Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 27 43’03.540 Accident
Photos/FORMULA1CRYPTOCOMMIAMIGRANDPRIX