Lando Norris finally bagged his first F1 Grand Prix win. However, his maiden victory in the apex motorsport series might have been influenced by a slight stroke of good fortune. The Briton himself admitted that and is ready to share his trophy and champagne with Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen for aiding him in achieving this milestone.
When Max Verstappen had to pit after damaging his front wing, Norris managed to take the lead of the race. Things got much better when Magnussen knocked Sargeant out of the race, forcing a safety car that gave a cheap pitstop to the 24-year-old race driver.
THE SAFETY CAR IS OUT! ⚠
Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant collide! Thankfully both drivers are okay pic.twitter.com/0XE1CIOS3s
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 5, 2024
For this series of events, Norris, albeit jokingly, offered his trophy to both drivers. “Today was my day. Today was the day when someone was like ‘I’m gonna throw a safety car now.’ And it all worked out perfectly. So whoever that person was, I thank them and I share my trophy and champagne with them.” said Norris to Lawrence Barreto after the race.
After joking about wanting to thank Magnussen and Sargeant, Norris gave credit where it was due. He thanked his team for their brilliant work and strategy throughout the race.
Meanwhile, Norris’ interview showed that this remarkable event has brought immense joy to him. So much so that he claims he will party hard once again and “might have more than just a scratch on my nose tomorrow.”
Win in Miami restores Lando Norris’ faith in McLaren
Right until the middle of the 2023 season, McLaren was failing to match the standards of its rivals under the new regulations. That frustrated the Briton until the Papaya team made a turnaround in the latter half of the campaign last year.
Since then, Norris has kept faith in his team. He reiterated his belief that a win with McLaren was ‘just around the corner’. While that success didn’t land last year, Norris’ patience paid off in Miami on Sunday. With that, McLaren shows that it is in the mix for wins this season.
LANDO NORRIS IS A FORMULA 1 RACE WINNER!
LANDO WINS THE #MIAMIGP!!! pic.twitter.com/1wOzrE5vdf
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 5, 2024
With Norris’ rapid pace, it was evident that the new upgrades McLaren brought worked. On tracks that suit McLaren, Norris could be an irritant to Verstappen and Red Bull’s charge.
With this odd result, it has also been highlighted that Red Bull might not have yet another seamless stroll to the Championship. With Ferrari also showing flashes of brilliance here and there, the Milton-Keynes-based team might have to push extra hard to seal the championship this year.
