Lando Norris arrived in Miami with hope. He left with the glory of his first career Formula One victory. After 110 race starts and 15 podium place finishes, he finally got to stand on the top step of the Formula One podium. And his win is a good thing for Formula One racing.
Max Verstappen was beaten on the track at the Miami Grand Prix for the first time in the 2024 season and only the second time in over a year. The only non-Verstappen victory this season was when he retired early in Australia.
That’s big news. But even bigger news is that Norris’ victory was not due to luck or bizarre circumstances. Norris won due to a superior performance that came after qualifying 5th on the grid and having a disappointing sprint race when he retired after picking up damage on turn one of the opening lap.
Despite the challenges in getting there, the outcome had many Formula One fans cheering the popular driver. Fellow drivers did the same, and many congratulated Norris on his victory, including Verstappen, former teammates Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Danny Ricciardo, and fellow Brits George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
The victory was the first in a long time that a competitor could outduel Verstappen and Red Bull. It happened because Norris had great pace from the start of the race, and even though he initially failed to make up any positions at the beginning of the race, he matched and–at times–bettered the pace of the cars ahead. This kept him in touching distance so that he could inherit the race lead when the cars ahead pitted for fresh tires.
Norris would eventually pit for fresh tires when the safety car emerged following a crash between Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant. That allowed him to keep his place in the lead of the race. However, with Max Verstappen in 2nd at the race re-start, many people expected Verstappen to challenge Norris and win. But that didn’t happen because Norris immediately removed any potential Verstappen attack by opening up a comfortable lead, and he then went on to win the race by over 7 seconds.
In the larger scheme of things, race fans respect what Red Bull and Verstappen have achieved over the past two seasons, but the predictable nature of Formula One racing has been a turn-off to many. Formula One gained more interest in its off-track sideshow than in what was happening on the track, and that kind of attention isn’t good for any sport.
Oon-track racing must be the central attraction, and competition has been lacking for over two years. So, the big question is whether Miami will be a one-off or the beginning of something new and refreshing. Could we be in store for a three-way battle with Norris (McLaren), Leclerc (Ferrari), and Verstappen (Red Bull)?
If that happens, Lando Norris’s first career Formula One victory could be the most important victory in modern Formula One history, reigniting a sport that desperately needs competition.
