On May 5, 2024, an essential event for Formula 1 occurred in Miami. One of the favorites of the world public, the Briton Lando Norris won his first victory in the “royal class” and forever inscribed his name in the history of motorsport. For most fans, this result came as a surprise since this season, the McLaren team could not compete on equal terms with Red Bull and Ferrari. However, a series of unforeseen events and perfect car driving allowed Lando Norris to reach the top of the podium. After the Miami Grand Prix, some experts called this result an accident, while others called it the long-awaited moment of the birth of a new F1 star. Let’s figure out which of them is correct.

Who is Lando Norris?

One of the most popular racers of our time is Lando Norris. He was born in Bristol (Great Britain) and has been performing under his country’s flag since the beginning of his career. Norris made its debut in professional motorsport quite early (in 2014). At first, he raced in the World Karting Championship, but after a confident victory, he moved to the F1 junior series. In 2015, he won the MSA Formula Championship title, and a year later, he became the best in several more status championships. Due to his high results, Lando Norris was invited to join the F1 McLaren team. After that, the Briton won the European Formula 3 series and competed in Formula 2.

His debut in F1 happened in the 2019 season. Due to the weakness of the McLaren team, Lando Norris was unable to reach his full potential. However, even in such conditions, he finished in the points zone 11 times. In 2020, the McLaren car remained relatively weak, but this did not stop Lando Norris from getting his first podium (he became 3rd at the Australian Grand Prix). The growth in results continued in 2021. This season, he has already placed in the top three four times and is 6th in the championship standings. In addition, he won his first pole position. In 2022 and 2023, Lando Norris continued to earn places in the top three for the team, but he never got the long-awaited victory. The situation was corrected this season. Lando Norris won the Miami Grand Prix and became the 114th driver in F1 history to cross the finish line first. Now, the Briton continues to drive for McLaren. He recently extended his contract until 2027 and will achieve his dream behind the wheel of this car.

Lando Norris has not yet achieved sporting severe results, but he has long been an absolute star outside of racing. He participates in a variety of activities and is active on social media. More than 8 million people follow his Instagram account today, automatically securing his star status. Lando Norris is always open to communication with the press. He behaves correctly and has never been involved in any scandals so far. All of the above makes him an attractive figure for fans, the number of which is proliferating every year.

Race events in Miami

Recently, the Miami Grand Prix has become one of the most anticipated events of the championship. It attracts a vast number of celebrities, as well as ordinary racing fans. This event turns Florida’s most famous city into a central point on the world map. Its streets are crowded with luxury cars and models bought at the junk yards of Mebane and other US cities, its restaurants are filled with visiting tourists, and an unrealistically large number of people relax on its beaches. Despite the vast entertainment, no one forgets about the ongoing competition.

The race in Miami did not start in the best way for Lando Norris. He started from the 5th position and immediately let his teammate ahead. For most of the race, the Briton held his position and had minimal prospects for victory. However, several events in the competition helped Lando Norris achieve the long-awaited result. Firstly, all the drivers ahead of the Briton made a pit stop one by one, allowing Lando Norris to take the lead without overtaking the track. Secondly, on one of the laps, there was an accident between the Dane Kevin Magnussen and the American Logan Sargeant, which forced the racing director to release a safety car onto the track. This circumstance considerably slowed down the drivers, thanks to which Lando Norris was able to make his pit stop with minimal loss of time.

As a result, the Briton even rode ahead of Red Bull Max Verstappen, who was the clear favorite and confidently led the grand prix. During the restart, the three-time world champion tried to regain the lead, but Lando Norris managed to defend his position. Further, the Briton’s near-ideal driving and well-functioning updates to the McLaren car allowed him to increase his lead over his competitors and complete the race in first position.

Lando Norris F1 prospects

In the final 20 laps of the Grand Prix, Lando Norris was consistently faster than the unbeaten Max Verstappen, once again intensifying the debate over F1’s best driver. After this victory, the Briton began to be called a new star whose rise had been waiting for a long time. Lando Norris has everything it needs for this status, except for a car that could perform equally well on any track. McLaren is now actively developing; the latest results confirm that the team is moving in the right direction. However, considering the specificity of the track in Miami, one can hardly expect such speed from Lando Norris at the next Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Lando Norris has a contract with McLaren until 2027. This shows that the Briton believes in the team and wants to achieve success with it. Nevertheless, many competitors do not give up trying to lure the young motorsport star. In the next two seasons, pilot seats will become available at Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, which will consider Lando Norris as one of their main options. However, the Briton himself has repeatedly declared his devotion to McLaren, so it’s hardly worth expecting him to appear in the cockpit of today’s fastest cars. In this regard, the prospects for Lando Norris in F1 remain pretty vague. If McLaren can provide him with a vehicle that performs equally well on fast and slow tracks, then Lando Norris will undoubtedly be among the top contenders for the title. At the same time, if all the innovations that McLaren makes do not give the desired result, then at least until 2027, the Briton will remain only a promising driver with no chance of winning the overall F1 standings.

Since he arrived in F1, Lando Norris has proven himself a strong driver with the potential to become a true motorsport star. However, circumstances prevented him from achieving the desired results for a long time. At the Miami Grand Prix, the Briton was rewarded for his efforts and was able to take advantage of the opportunity. Undoubtedly, if the McLaren team continues to progress, Lando Norris will deliver consistent results and one day win the world title.