Team notes: Maiden victory for McLaren’s Lando Norris
It’s been a long time coming, but McLaren’s Lando Norris finally added his name to the list of F1 winners on Sunday, after displaying a thrilling performance to win the third Miami Grand Prix.
Despite having displayed eye-catching pace during the entire race weekend, Lando Norris made a costly mistake on his final qualifying lap in Friday’s sprint shootout. It meant that he only started the 100km dash from P9, and was then involved in a first-corner collision with Lance Stroll which saw him retire from the action.
Interestingly, Norris was unable to challenge for pole in the main qualifying, and only grabbed P5 on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. However, the race saw Norris display brilliant pace, especially at the end of his first stint. And with the safety car appearing on the track in a more than optimal time for Norris, the Briton took his chance to pit and rejoin the track at the front of the field. Although Max Verstappen was right behind the McLaren driver, his slightly older tyres meant that he was unable to offer an answer to Norris' pace.
Expanding on his maiden F1 victory, Norris said: “What a race. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve finally managed to do it. I’m so happy for the whole team, and what we’ve achieved together. We’ve had a few little setbacks across the weekend, but today we managed to put it all together.
“The car was great, the strategy was perfect, and I’m over the moon. I’m proud of everyone in this team today. I’ve always believed in them, and they’ve always had faith in me, and today we’ve really justified that. A huge thanks go to them for the hard work they’ve put in that made this possible.”
Oscar Piastri had a great getaway from the start, and managed to overtake Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on track to snatch away P2. Once race leader Max Verstappen pitted for new hards, he found himself at the front of the field.
However, the Australian was then involved in a clash with Carlos Sainz which saw him pick up damage on his front wing. As a result, the Australian dropped back to last place. Although he fought his way from P19 back up into P13, it was not enough to score points on a day when he and his car looked mighty quick.
“A great day for the team, but a disappointing afternoon on my side. I feel like we did a lot of things right in the first half of the race but a few things didn’t go our way in the second half. The car felt the best it’s been all year, so I don’t think my result should take away from the performance by the rest of the team. Well done to Lando and everyone at McLaren. The race was won on merit today and it’s really promising for what’s to come.”
Commenting on his team’s second victory in 12 years, team boss Andrea Stella said: “Victory today in Miami is meaningful for many reasons. First of all, for Lando and his first F1 win. I am happy from the bottom of our hearts for him. We’ve often said as soon as we give him winning material, he’s going to win. He did it in style.
“Beyond that, it’s a very important day for the team. We’ve been on a journey for some time, after an incredible turnaround last year. We’ve kept momentum, and today is another very important step and hopefully the starting point for greater success. So, I’m very happy for all the people at McLaren, I hope they enjoy this moment because I know how much work has gone into delivering these upgrades.
"It’s not just design or just manufacturing, it’s an effort across every department at the factory and from the trackside team. This goes beyond just the people at McLaren: it goes to our power unit partners at HPP and our technical and commercial partners who are vital to this success. It’s teamwork in the widest possible sense.
“The car was very good this weekend – and it’s worth noting Oscar was in a very strong position to be on the podium as well, as he drove a very good race. Lastly, my final word is for Gil de Ferran, to whom this victory is dedicated to by the whole team. Gil, this is for you,” Stella said.
