Lando Norris wins his first F1 race in Miami

The race got underway with Verstappen making a clean getaway from pole position, while Charles Leclerc bogged down off the line and was swamped by the field.

Sergio Perez's aggressive move into Turn 1 nearly wiped out his Red Bull teammate and forced several drivers, including Norris, to take evasive action.

As Verstappen built a comfortable lead, Oscar Piastri overtook Carlos Sainz to run third behind Leclerc.

The Ferrari driver then struggled for grip on the medium compound tires, allowing Piastri to pass for second place.

The first twist in the tale came when Verstappen lost a bollard from his car, prompting a Virtual Safety Car period.

This enabled Norris to make a pit stop and inherit the lead when the race resumed.

Safety Car

The complexion of the race changed again on lap 27 when Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant collided, bringing out the full Safety Car.

McLaren reacted swiftly, pitting Norris for a fresh set of hard tires, allowing him to rejoin ahead of Verstappen for the restart on lap 33.

Norris defended robustly from Verstappen's attack into Turn 1 and gradually began to extend his lead as his fresher tires provided a critical advantage.

Leclerc attempted an unsuccessful move on Verstappen post-restart and had to settle for third place.

Further back, a controversial battle unfolded between Sainz and Piastri, with two separate incidents resulting in the Australian's front wing being damaged, costing him track position.

Despite Verstappen's relentless pursuit, Norris managed his pace and tire degradation expertly, extending his lead to a comfortable 7.6 seconds at the checkered flag, with Leclerc 2.3 seconds further back in third.

The victory ends Norris's streak of being the driver with the most podium finishes without a race win and provides a significant boost for both him and McLaren after a challenging 2023 campaign.

2024 Miami Grand Prix Results