Lando Norris hailed his maiden Formula One win at the Miami Grand Prix as an immensely proud moment, insisting it would finally silence the critics and doubters who questioned his talent.
The McLaren driver took his first victory in a thrilling final at Miami International Speedway. Norris comprehensively beat three-time world champion Max Verstappen into second place to claim his first title after 110 races since his debut in Australia in 2019.
Norris has come close to victory since then, especially at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, where he was only denied victory by late-race rain. But the 24-year-old has faced critics and abuse online questioning his ability and whether he could beat Verstappen in a head-to-head fight, including a social media post calling him “Lando didn’t win”. Norris made his response clear in Miami, insisting he finds the feedback a fun thrill that pushes him to do greater things.
“I never lost faith, I never didn’t believe I could go out and do something,” Norris said. “It’s nice to put this to bed and prove a lot of people wrong because as much as I love seeing it, I go on Instagram and I love all the comments from people who have insulted me, I love it so much, It makes me smile more than anything, especially “Lando No-wins.”
“For me to finally prove those people wrong and prove to those people who thought I couldn’t do this, I have a bigger smile on my face today. So I thank them all.
Norris benefited from a free pit stop under the safety car, ensuring he finished ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and also had fresher tires. From that moment on, he not only overtook Verstappen, but showed steely willpower to maintain and extend his lead over the Dutchman, ultimately finishing the race 7.6 seconds clear.
Verstappen has been so dominant over the past two years that he inadvertently sat in the middle seat reserved for winners during the post-race press conference when he was reminded that he was not winning this time When that happened, he laughed. The reigning world champion went on to pay tribute to Norris, with whom he was good friends.
“I’m happy to be beaten by Lando today,” Verstappen said. “He definitely deserved it. He was just a couple of miles quicker in the end. It’s great, it’s always very exciting to win the first race. It makes you think back on all the days you worked hard for Formula 1 and then you Dream about podiums and then reaching the top step.
Norris held the lead for 24 laps, and he did so with absolute control, setting a series of fastest laps and comfortably beating Verstappen to win a memorable and long-awaited race. victory. He paid tribute to his parents for supporting him and explained why he dedicated the victory to his grandmother.
“My parents have been very supportive, they support you from the beginning,” Norris said. “They allowed everything to happen. They got me into racing, supported me and allowed me to get into Formula One and live my dream and do what I’ve loved doing since I was a kid.
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“My grandma, because she hasn’t been in good health lately. I saw her last week and I told her I was going to win a race. I didn’t say when, I just said I was going to win a race. I didn’t expect it to be It’s coming so quickly, so I’m happy that I was able to do it so quickly.
An emotional Norris climbed out of the car after giving McLaren his first win since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix at Monza and was given a warm welcome by the team, with the extensive upgrades to the car proving to be a A real improvement.
This is even more impressive considering they were expected to struggle in Miami due to the advantage of the slower corners rather than the advantage of their car. It was very much a win against the odds and showed they could become the second-best team on the grid, perhaps even overtaking Ferrari, and Norris cemented his place among the top drivers.
“A lot of people doubted my ability to go out and win races and perform well under the pressure of the lead, especially with Max behind you, but I’m actually more confident this year than I’ve ever been,” Norris said. “I’m doing well. I’m fast and execute things exactly the way I want to. I’ve improved a lot of my weaknesses and all the hard work has paid off.
