Only one person can win in Formula 1. In recent years it seemed as if this was the rule, confirmed by the exception at most once a year. And no one other than Max Verstappen ever triumphed in Miami. But then? Things turned out differently. McLaren driver Lando Norris is the surprise winner of the Grand Prix in Florida, held for the third time in the parking lot of a football stadium that, it sounds much better, they call the Miami International Autodrome.
World champion Verstappen in the Red Bull only came in second after 57 laps (308 kilometers). Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc came third. Nico Hülkenberg from Emmerich drove his Haas to eleventh place and remained without points. For the 24-year-old Norris it was the first victory of his career in the 111th Grand Prix.
Trump clenches his fist
At 3:46 p.m. local time, the thermometer read 28 degrees Celsius, and tens of thousands rose to their feet, including for Donald Trump, who showed the audience his victory fist. This led to cheers and boos in equal measure in the stands. A few minutes earlier, the former and possibly future American president had visited the McLaren team and chatted with managing director Zak Brown.
Trump is said to have asked for the chat, McLaren hastily asserted that he was apolitical. Nobody could have guessed that Trump, of all people, would give the lucky charm. But there was still a long way to go until then. Previously, six-time Grammy winner Marc Anthony performed the Star-Spangled Banner song, half warbled, half crowed. After that the engines just howled.
Verstappen, who won the sprint race and the subsequent qualifying session on Saturday, led his pursuers to the first right bend. A collision was in the air because Sergio Pérez in the second Red Bull shot up and almost ran over Verstappen. The Ferrari drivers were also frightened: “What the hell,” Carlos Sainz complained on the on-board radio, “that can’t be right, he almost eliminated us.” The Spaniard demanded a penalty for Pérez, the favorite of Miami’s large Latin American community the race management turned a blind eye.
Hülkenberg brillant
Things got tough between the Ferrari drivers, and Oscar Piastri benefited from this in the McLaren, who overtook Sainz. Pérez was only fifth. Hülkenberg showed an aggressive, albeit fair, in short brilliant maneuver, taking Lewis Hamilton by surprise and driving past him into seventh place. Verstappen hurried away, Leclerc couldn’t follow, he had botched the start, and Piastri was already pushing from behind.
The McLaren team was considered the secret favorite in Florida; the team had shipped the MCL38 to Miami in a completely renovated version. Piastri spurred the papaya racer, overtook Leclerc and was in second place. It was a kind of foreshadowing of what was to follow. Colleague Norris was chasing Pérez and it was clear that the otherwise superior Red Bull was not functioning as usual on the slippery parking lot slope.
However, Norris still couldn’t find a way past. Unlike Hamilton, who passed Hülkenberg. George Russell in the second Silver Arrow did the same as the record world champion. Only ninth place was left for the Rhinelander, who then headed for the pits after twelve laps and thus temporarily fell back to 15th place. He was unable to confirm the strong form of Saturday’s sprint race.
Norris hits the jackpot
The first third of the race ended with Verstappen three and a half seconds ahead of Piastri and Sainz because Leclerc was the first Scuderia driver to stop. It seemed to be going as usual. Then things got turbulent. “I caught the pylons in turn 15, check the front wing,” Verstappen radioed. The cone he hit whirled through the air, rolled over the piste and came to rest in the fast lane.
The commissioners neutralized the car race using a virtual safety car phase. It only lasted a few seconds, too short for Verstappen to make a time-saving pit stop. No luck for the champion, who had to go for service a lap later in racing trim. Piastri was ahead of Sainz and Norris at halftime because the trio delayed the mandatory stop. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso was struggling in midfield. In ninth place he finally collected two championship points and had a disappointing weekend overall.
Then the decision was made: Piastri and Sainz drove to the service at the same time, Norris took the lead and won the jackpot on the 29th lap that had previously been denied to Verstappen. Because Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Logan Sargeant (Williams) collided, the safety car was deployed. Norris was able to have fresh Pirellis installed and still stay at the front. What luck for the young Brit.
Norris pulls away
When the scrap was removed and the race management released the race again, 25 tours still had to be completed. Verstappen immediately attacked, now or never. But Norris turned him down. He now utilized the full potential of the McLaren, which ran like clockwork thanks to the aerodynamic improvements.
Norris hurried away and Verstappen felt what happens to his opponents so often. Norris turned one fast lap after the other, being around three tenths of a second per lap faster than the champion. Verstappen complained about too little grip and locking wheels. He knew he was beaten.
And where was Piastri? A skirmish with Sainz destroyed his front wing and McLaren called him to the pits. He fell back to last place. Joy and sorrow are also close together in Formula 1. When he then wanted to fly through the field with anger in his stomach, his team warned him not to provoke another safety car phase, which could jeopardize Norris’ success. Piastri slowed down and Norris won his first Grand Prix.
