Lando Norris emerged victorious over Max Verstappen with a lead of over 7 seconds after a late Safety Car intervention.
Norris, Verstappen, and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur (images via IMAGO).
In an exciting race, Lando Norris secured his first Formula 1 victory. The British driver took advantage of the Safety Car period, allowing him to pit without losing time. This favorable turn of events played in Norris’ favor as Verstappen encountered issues during the race. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur acknowledged the importance of the Safety Car in Norris’ debut win over the Dutch driver.
While some attributed Norris’ triumph solely to the Safety Car, others, including Verstappen himself, recognized the British driver’s skill and ability to secure the win despite chassis damage. Verstappen emphasized that Norris’ success was partly due to him being the only driver on track when the safety car was deployed, and also because it was deployed ahead of Verstappen, not the race leader.
Adding a touch of humor to the situation, Ferrari team principal Vasseur jokingly suggested that the Safety Car was specifically deployed to benefit Verstappen and therefore it was his doing. Vasseur also noted that the slow pace of the safety car favored Norris towards the end of the race. These combined factors made Norris’ victory seem relatively easy.
Ferrari demonstrated consistent strategies and efficient pit stops throughout the 2024 season. However, during the Safety Car period resulting from the accident of Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen, Carlos Sainz had just completed his pit stop. This unfortunate timing caused Sainz to lose valuable time that could have been saved if he had stopped before the incident. As a result, Sainz only managed a fifth place in the Miami Grand Prix, while Norris claimed the top of the podium.
Commenting on this stroke of bad luck, Fred Vasseur humorously mentioned that he had forgotten to bring his crystal ball to predict the future. The team principal also acknowledged the team’s bad luck in finding themselves in such a situation during the Miami Grand Prix. However, Ferrari will strive to bounce back and deliver better results in the next race, especially in front of their home crowd.
To improve their performance in the upcoming Grand Prix, Ferrari will introduce several upgrades to their challenging SF24. Italian fans are eager for better results from Maranello in the next stage. The Italian constructor has already shown a significant improvement compared to the beginning of the previous season.
