Recently, Lando Norris won his maiden Grand Prix in Miami, beating the reigning champion Max Verstappen narrowly. However, the Dutch racer was the favorite to win the US GP. The Red Bull Racing fans expected to see the triple-time champion win his fifth race of the year in Miami. But the McLaren team has been gaining attention since last year. In the middle of the 2023 season, if there was one team that surprised the fans the most with the best improvement from the start of the season, it was McLaren.
However, they could not beat Red Bull in the last season. Max Verstappen ended up winning a record 19 races in the previous season. Even at the beginning of the 2024 season, McLaren was faster than Mercedes. But Red Bull and Ferrari looked still faster than the team wearing Orange uniforms. However, in Miami, Lando Norris did the unthinkable this year. Later, Max Verstappen behaved like a gentleman as he congratulated the McLaren driver.
How Max Verstappen Showed Class After Coming Second In The Miami GP?
After Lando Norris achieved his lifelong dream of winning his maiden F1 GP, he got a thumbs-up from the reigning champion. Anyway, Norris and Verstappen always shared a nice, friendly vibe with each other. Moreover, it turned out that the Dutch racer was happy for the McLaren driver. Hence, there have been no bitter or sour moments between the two F1 drivers/friends. On the contrary, onboard footage showed Max Verstappen applauding Norris as he drove past after the waving of the chequered flag. The Red Bull driver gave a thumbs-up to his friend. Later, in the press conference, the RBR racer said he was happy that Norris managed to beat him. Moreover, Max Verstappen said that his friend’s maiden GP win was a long time coming.
Max Verstappen applauding Lando Norris from the cockpit after Lando's first F1 win.
— Daniel Valente 🏎️ (@F1GuyDan) May 5, 2024
Great sportsmanship between friends. pic.twitter.com/nETrap4kXk
On top of that, the three-time champion gave more insight into the race. He said that in the end, Lando was miles faster, and he really deserved to win the race. Also, Max added that he knows how special the maiden GP win for a racer can be. He mentioned, “It is quite an emotional journey from podium finishes to the top step finish.” Moreover, Max said that the first win always brings back memories of those days when the drivers worked towards F1. However, Max Verstappen is not happy with his own performance but says that Lando Norris deserves respect and appreciation for what he has done. And yes, he is very happy for his friend.
The Dutchman Is Still Enjoying A Healthy Lead Over Others
Max Verstappen is looking forward to winning his fourth straight Driver’s World Championship. He has already won four races in 2024. However, he could not have a better start than last year. In 2023, he lost two races to his teammate Sergio Perez in the first half of the season. But this year, Max and Checo had a few one-two finishes. Nevertheless, Max is still 33 points ahead of Checo.
However, the Dutch racer’s teammate has not been able to win any race this ongoing season yet. On the other hand, Max Verstappen had a DNF in Australia that allowed Ferrari and Carlos Sainz Jr. to enjoy an easy race win. Lately, Lando Norris won the Miami GP because, on the given day, he was faster than his triple-time champion friend.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team.