Lando Norris Turns Max Verstappen as the Latest Victim of the Miami GP Curse

After 110 races, it is Lando Norris at last! The winner of the Miami Grand Prix and first-time race winner, Norris, has broken his curse of podium finishes without victories. The McLaren driver sure is having one of his best Formula 1 days, winning his first race in six years after his last victory in Formula 2.

Although there was a safety car strategy in place, Lando Norris showed his pace was much faster than Max Verstappen. Ultimately, Norris brought home the win for the Papaya army, but there is one underlying fact that many miss and that is that he proved, just like Max Verstappen, that being on the pole has nothing to do with winning at the Miami Grand Prix.

Lando Norris takes on Max Verstappen’s spirit for the Miami GP

Max Verstappen has been the winner of the previous two races that took place at the Miami International Autodrome. However, there is an interesting fact that people forget. Max Verstappen was never the polesitter for either of those races. Back in 2022, it was Charles Leclerc who took the pole position, and in 2023, it was Sergio Perez, only for Verstappen to win.

Lando Norris started the Grand Prix fifth on the starting grid, but he managed to fight his way to the top. While his teammate was on his way to the podium, an incident with Carlos Sainz put him towards the back of the race. Norris saw an opportunity and led the race for the latter half of the race.

Although he had Verstappen on his tail, it was clear that the McLaren was the faster car, beating the RB20 in Miami. This might come off as a shock, but it looks like the other teams are catching up with Red Bull. Or is there another theory about Max Verstappen not finishing in Miami?

Ultimately, Norris proved what Verstappen had started by showing that the pole does not matter at the Miami Grand Prix; at least it hasn’t so far. It was an unusual sight to see Max Verstappen not win a GP, but surprisingly, he seemed more happy than disappointed, coming in second.

Their friend’s first victory: a good view on the podium!

Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris are three drivers who are almost the same age. They all competed in karting together during their early years of racing, and that has led them to bond with one another.

Their friendship only got stronger when they all ended up living in Monaco, the preferred city for F1 drivers to reside in. Only Charles Leclerc was born in Monaco, while the other two drivers moved there for the lifestyle.

Although the three drivers have been seen together on the podium quite a few times, Norris was never at the top of it. This iconic day was celebrated by Verstappen and Leclerc, who were more happy for their friend winning his first GP than sad about not winning it for themselves.

This shows how friendship in Formula 1 sometimes triumphs over results, and EssentiallySports congratulates Lando Norris on his first win. That being said, after McLaren upgraded their engine, do you think there are more victories to come for the Briton driver? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.