Lando Norris achieved his first victory in Formula 1 at the Miami GP, breaking his record for most podiums without a win. The entire Formula 1 grid celebrated the triumph of the 24-year-old driver, as Norris successfully held off his competitors. The Woking-based team believes that this win will help Norris overcome the difficult moments he faced in 2021.
At the beginning of the 2021 season, Norris secured pole position but made a mistake by not switching to the appropriate tires for the rainy conditions. As a result, the track was too wet for slick tires on his McLaren, causing him to crash. This error haunted Norris and McLaren throughout the season.
Norris’s race engineer, Joseph, expressed that this long-awaited victory was well-deserved, especially considering the incident at the 2021 Russian GP. Joseph joked that the race haunted him even in his sleep. With this win, the 24-year-old driver can finally put that race behind him.
Joseph also praised the performance of the Papaya team during the Miami GP. Initially uncertain about Norris’s race setup, Joseph admitted that the changes made by the team proved to be successful. This recognition indicated that the adjustments were the right ones.
McLaren had a strong start to the 2024 season, particularly highlighted by Norris’s victory. The team showed a significant improvement in pace compared to the previous season. Despite the gap to the leading teams, Joseph attributed this to the team’s limitations, not Norris’s abilities. Once provided with a competitive challenge, the 24-year-old driver was able to achieve victory.
Although Norris has come close to winning races on several occasions, he has always fallen short due to various factors. However, after his victory in Miami, Stella believes that this showed Norris’s readiness and marked a significant milestone in his journey in Formula 1.
Norris will undoubtedly cherish his first race victory for a long time. McLaren’s performance has been promising in terms of challenging Red Bull, and they are ready to introduce more updates at the Emilia-Romagna GP. The 2024 season promises excitement as McLaren aims to compete against Red Bull until the end.
