It took a lot of time for Lando Norris to win his first-ever F1 race. After multiple failed attempts, Norris finally crossed the line in P1 in Miami last year, more than five years after making his debut in the sport. There were no sudden weather changes or strategic mishaps to stop him this time.
From McLaren’s point of view, this victory was of huge significance because it marked the beginning of their resurgence. It was also their first win since 2021 when Daniel Ricciardo won the Italian GP where Norris finished second.
On that day, Norris looked like he had the pace but McLaren ordered him to stay behind Ricciardo. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at the Miami International Autodrome.
Following his win in Miami, Lando Norris joins some of the most esteemed Brits in the sport, as a race winner #F1 pic.twitter.com/hPrgIiEWT4
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 11, 2024
Upon winning, Norris took a trip down memory lane. He recalled watching McLaren veterans Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso on the grid when he was small, being mesmerized by the incredible duo taking all those wins in 2007. This hit him during the podium celebrations that afternoon.
“When I was seven, eight years old, I remember watching Fernando and Lewis. They were part of McLaren. Quite a spectacular year, and that was my first time watching Formula 1,” he revealed in an interview with CNBC.
2007 was special for McLaren indeed. They lost out on the constructors’ title because of the Spygate scandal, but Hamilton and Alonso took the grid by storm, becoming the most formidable pairing on the grid. Had they not been in each other’s path, it would have been impossible for either not to win the championship, which went to Kimi Raikkonen in the end.
But for Norris — and many others — that didn’t matter. “Watching McLaren, watching Lewis as a Brit and cheering them on and thinking this is what I want to do one day,” he added.
That moment finally arrived in Miami. Plus it was a launchpad for further success for the Woking-based squad who went on to win the 2024 Constructors’ title, largely aided by Norris’ three subsequent wins.
How Norris’ Miami win was a moment of redemption
Before the Miami GP in 2024, Norris had the most podiums without a race win (15). It was getting frustrating for the Bristol-born driver, as people on social media often mocked him for his lack of wins.
The term “Lando NoWins” became quite famous, which was certainly tough for Norris to digest. Even Drive to Survive’s latest season on Netflix acknowledged the meme and captured the 25-year-old’s reaction to it. He dismissed it as coming from “people in love with their keyboard.”
Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before Norris won his maiden race and put an end to the meme. He knew he had to win at any cost to get that monkey off his back, as modern-day social media trends would have only doubled down on the trolling.
As soon as he got that win in Miami, he hit back at these trolls by launching a merchandise collection that featured the term ‘Lando NoWins’. However, he put a nice touch to it by adding a strikethrough on the ‘No’, which affirmed that he was a Grand Prix winner now.
