Norris, McLaren Halt Red Bull’s Formula 1 Dominance With Victory at Miami Grand Prix

MIAMI — Formula 1 needed something special to happen at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix to renew interest in its sport in America. A McLaren driver, Lando Norris, did his part by winning his first career F1 race, ending Max Verstappen’s winning streak and loosening Red Bull’s dominance at least for the moment.To say Mr. Norris’s victory was popular is an understatement. The first person to congratulate him was Mr. Verstappen, winner of 21 of the previous 23 F1 races and the victor in the first two Miami Grand Prix and its Spring Race on Saturday.“I finally managed to do it,” Mr. Norris told Sky Sports after the first win of his five-year career as a McLaren driver. “I’m so happy for my whole team. I finally delivered for them. It was a long day and a tough race. But I’m finally on top, so I’m over the moon.”The 21st driver from the United Kingdom to win a Formula 1 race, Mr. Norris delivered in a big way. After starting fifth and dropping to sixth, he assumed the lead when Mr. Verstappen pitted on the 24th lap of the 57-lap race and never relinquished it, increasing his advantage with every lap.His McLaren led by 5.8 seconds after 50 laps, 6.6 seconds after 54 laps, and 7.3 seconds heading into the final lap. By the time he crossed the finish line, Mr. Verstappen was 7.6 seconds behind the winner to finish second, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was third.“Today we put the perfect strategy together and it all paid off,” Mr. Norris said, adding, “A lot of people doubted me along the way. I’ve made some mistakes over the last five years. But today we put it all together. This is all for the team.”Mr. Verstappen offered no excuses other than his car “didn’t feel fantastic.” Otherwise, he gave credit to Mr. Norris and the McLaren team. “Once they switched on to the hard tires they just had more pace, especially Lando,” Mr. Verstappen said. “He was flying.”The Dutchman seemed ecstatic for Mr. Norris, the 24-year-old who had retired from the Sprint Race on Saturday. “I’m very happy for Lando,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. And this isn’t going to be his last race. He definitely deserves it.”McLaren implemented 10 upgrades to its car for the race and earned the team’s first victory since Monza in 2021, prompting a huge celebration. “I guess this is how it’s done,” Mr. Norris said during his victory lap around the 19-turn, 3.4-mile Miami International Autodrome. “I came into this morning and said today is the day.”It was exactly the kind of goose-bump finish Formula 1 needed at Miami to inject interest into the sport. The dominance of Mr. Verstappen and Red Bull has negatively affected television ratings in America.According to figures provided by ESPN, through the first five races in 2024, its telecasts averaged 728,000 viewers. That’s down from 1.11 million average viewers who watched the 22 races during the 2023 season on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. The 2023 viewership was slightly less than a record average of 1.21 million in 2022.With events in Japan and Communist China moved to the early part of the season, three of the five races this year — Japan, China, and Australia — were during overnight hours, while races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were held on Saturdays instead of Sundays. Bahrain with 1.12 million has attracted the top viewership thus far, while Japan — 484,000 — had the lowest.Mr. Verstappen’s dominance has played a part in the decline in television ratings. Few want to see the same winner week after week. The only race the Dutchman hadn’t won this year was at Australia, where he did not finish due to engine failure. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari won with teammate Mr. Leclerc finishing second.Now someone has beaten Mr. Verstappen legitimately.“They came with upgrades and it looked like it worked,” Mr. Verstappen said. “So we have a bit of work to do on our side. I think it definitely wasn’t our strongest weekend in terms of race pace, but we’ll analyze it all and try to come back stronger.”The Miami Grand Prix is the first of three Formula 1 races in America this year. The U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas at Austin, Texas, is on October 20 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix returns on November 23.

Norris, McLaren Halt Red Bull’s Formula 1 Dominance With Victory at Miami Grand Prix

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