Norris Extends Miami Stay for Victory Celebration

Post-win, Lando Norris postpones his flight to revel in his Miami Grand Prix triumph.

Lando Norris is intent on celebrating his Miami Grand Prix victory in a special way after securing his first ever Formula 1 win.

The McLaren driver arrived in Miami with a cut on his nose from a chipped glass he was drinking from in Amsterdam the previous weekend, joking about it on Thursday. However, by Sunday, he was on the highest step of the podium after beating Max Verstappen, and said he followed Lewis Hamilton’s advice and changed his travel plans to celebrate in style in Miami.

“I was supposed to fly to Europe, but Zak agreed to delay and he told me we would fly during the day on Monday.”

“I’m not going to sleep, I’m going all night long! I might have more than just a scratch on my nose tomorrow, I don’t care. I’m going to enjoy my time. It only happens once, when you win your first Grand Prix. It’s nice to do it here in Miami. I was kind of hoping it would be at Silverstone… tonight, it’s going to be a great night.”

Ascending to the highest step of the F1 podium for the first time in his 110th attempt, Norris said he let his mind wander about the time it took him to secure his first victory.

“It was incredible. The whole team is here too, I don’t know what I can say, honestly. Lots of smiles, lots of cheers… There’s a lot of work in a day like this. Just happiness, smiles from my side, which isn’t always the case.”

“I dream of these days sometimes. You never know when they’re going to come, but it was this day. Behind the wheel, as much as my mind was racing, as much as I was thinking about many things, I was silent. It’s just a bit lonely at times and it’s nice to reflect on everything you’ve done to get here.”

The 24-year-old driver admits that this victory lifts a weight off his shoulders after eight second-place finishes among the 15 podiums he had secured before Miami.

“As much as I want to say no, it’s yes! Securing that first win is always incredible. I’ve certainly had moments when I was close, and I never managed to convert them into a win. But I wasn’t worried. Even though many people doubted that I could succeed and win a race, I wasn’t worried.”

“I’ve been more confident than ever this year, I have what it takes and the team has what it takes, and I’ve been patient with that. I just did my job and executed my race perfectly, and did what I can do best, and I knew my time was approaching.”

“I said it in the morning—not often am I optimistic about things, but actually, all weekend, there was something. Already in free practice, we were close. We were very good on Friday and there was a kind of spark. We might have lost it a bit on Saturday, but Sunday, it definitely came back and turned into a little fire. It was an incredible race.”