Lando Norris has silenced critics with incredible maiden victory at Miami GP

Lando Norris finally won a race in F1 after securing the most podiums in the sport without a victory.

Lando Norris has silenced critics with incredible maiden victory at Miami GP

Lando Norris celebrating his maiden F1 victory (Via IMAGO)

Many expected Max Verstappen to dominate the Miami GP once again. The reigning world champion has continued his impressive form this year. However, McLaren’s Lando Norris managed to shock the entire paddock and take his first-ever Formula 1 victory.

Norris made the record for the most number of podiums without a race win in Formula 1 with 15. Ever since making his F1 debut in 2019, the 24-year-old had shown glimpses of brilliance. However, Lando Norris would often make mistakes in crucial situations which lost him the chance to become a race winner. Although, the Briton was always supported by McLaren as he signed long-term deals to secure his future at Woking.

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The McLaren driver has faced criticism online for a couple of years now. Many mocked Norris’ failure to win a race despite Daniel Ricciardo claiming the Woking-based team’s first victory since 2012 at the 2021 Italian GP. Nevertheless, the Miami GP became the perfect platform for Lando Norris to make a statement and silence his critics for once and for all.

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Lando Norris proved he can defeat Max Verstappen

Lando Norris had declined Red Bull’s offer to partner Max Verstappen at Milton Keynes. Many claimed that the Briton was scared of fighting Verstappen as his teammate. Norris’ comments of wanting to win with McLaren did not win favors amongst fans. However, the Miami GP showed that the 24-year-old could defeat the reigning world champion.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO).

Norris made gains during a Safety Car period following the collision between Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen. The McLaren driver got into the lead of the race, ahead of second-placed Max Verstappen. It was likely that the dominant Red Bull would quickly pass the 24-year-old. However, instead of losing position to Verstappen, Lando Norris extended his lead over the course of the race.

The British driver crossed the chequered flag over seven seconds ahead of Max Verstappen. This showed that even if Norris had been lucky with the Safety Car, he had the pace to fend off any threat from Verstappen. Additionally, Lando Norris finally did not crack under pressure during such a high pressure situation in the ending stages of the race. Subsequently, critics would need to think twice before trying to mock the McLaren driver’s performance.

The Miami GP race winner has reaffirmed himself as a potential future world champion in F1. The 24-year-old was ecstatic to win his first race in five years. Moreover, Lando Norris garnered praise from Lewis Hamilton the cool down lap. Even Max Verstappen claimed that this victory was just the first of many for the Briton.

Certainly, Lando Norris will gain immense confidence from his race victory. The British driver would likely race even harder following this massive accomplishment. It is clear that McLaren can finally challenge Red Bull for race wins. As such, Norris would be hoping to potentially win more races in the coming races.

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