Miami GP Winner Lando Norris Rode a $82,000 Cadillac to the Track While Lewis Hamilton Came Cruising in $126,000 Mercedes EQS

F1 tracks often become a car exhibition show where drivers bring their expensive luxury rides to show off. Most drivers may drive a car of their team manufacturer’s brand while some may choose their own ride. F1 photographer Kym Illman keeps a close eye on these cars and he did so at the Miami GP as well. Per him, Lando Norris, who won at the Miami International Autodrome, drove a $82,000 worth Cadillac while Lewis Hamilton arrived in a Mercedes EQS 580.

Illman summarized the cars all drives drove to the Miami GP track in one of his YouTube videos. He mentioned how Norris came in a Cadillac Escalade 600. Meanwhile, his teammate, Oscar Piastri, drove a Chevrolet Tahoe, which is worth $56,000 approximately.

The Cadillac Escalade 600 is an SUV with a 6.2L V8 engine under its hood. The car also has a variant available with a 3L Turbo Diesel engine. The V8 gives an output of 420 hp with 460 lb-ft of torque. Meanwhile, a supercharged V8 engine variant increases the output to 682 hp.

The McLaren drivers often drive cars of different brands to all races. From Toyota and Ford to Cadillac and Chevrolet, Norris and Piastri probably like to experiment.

Coming to Lewis Hamilton’s ride, it was a classic Mercedes EQS worth $126,000. The seven-time champion mostly arrives in a Mercedes car to all races. His teammate, George Russell, also drove a Mercedes GLS 450, which was the same car Hamilton drove in at the Bahrain GP.

The EQS 580 is a hybrid sedan with a combined power output of 516 hp which is 385 kW. The battery capacity is 108.4 kWh with an estimated range of 340 miles EPA.

Just like Norris and Hamilton, other drivers drove in some great cars, and audiences attending the race weekend would have got to have a look at them. However, more so they got their tickets’ money worth, watching Norris earn his maiden win.

Lando Norris’ maiden race win benefits the Miami GP viewership

The Miami GP has often invited immense criticism from fans for its underwhelming racing and overarching celebrity presence. However, the 2024 edition of the race weekend in the Sunshine State saw a record viewership.

Lando Norris winning his maiden Grand Prix made the 2024 Miami GP the most-watched race in the US with 3.6 million viewers. At its peak during the live stream, 3.6 million were tuned in to watch Norris’ maiden triumph and McLaren’s first win since the 2021 Italian GP.

Miami attracted the largest live US television audience on record for F1, with an average of 3.1 million tuning in on ABC.

Previous record was 2.6m from Miami 2022: https://t.co/z29bpCthNq #F1

— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) May 7, 2024

Overall, the Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome produced decent racing action. Previously, everyone including drivers, experts, and fans have criticized the track layout for not having elements for good racing. Despite that, the 2024 edition of the race mostly received a positive response on that front.