Norris reacts to his first win: "I've finally delivered for the team"
F1 News
Lando Norris has won his first Formula 1 Grand Prix. The British driver benefited from a timely safety car, but McLaren's strong pace in the United States should not be denied. Fitted with upgrades, Norris pulled away from Verstappen after the safety car restart to secure his first Grand Prix victory.
Norris started the Grand Prix from fifth place on the grid. He took the lead in the middle of the race but had yet to pit. A safety was required, which gave Norris a cheap pitstop. But the McLaren driver had really good pace and even pulled a seven-second lead.
This is Norris' reaction to winning
"About time. It's been a long time coming, but finally, I've done it. I've finally delivered for the team. It was a tough race, but finally on top. I'm over the moon," Norris said in the first post-race interview.
The British driver nearly won in Sochi in 2021, but late rain and a bad decision to not pit caused him to miss out. Norris looked back on previous mistakes when celebrating the race win in Miami. "The whole weekend has been good. I've had little setbacks along the way. I knew on Friday I had the pace, today we managed to put it together with the perfect strategy. I'm just proud. A lot of people doubted me along the way. I've made mistakes over the last five years, but we put it together today. I stuck with McLaren because I believed in them," Norris concluded.
Norris becomes the first British driver to win a race since November 2022. The 24-year-old becomes the 21st British winner in Formula 1 history. He also loses the record for the most podiums without a Grand Prix victory.