Lando Norris Wins Chaotic Miami GP Sprint as… Read More
Lando Norris claimed a dramatic victory in a shortened and chaotic Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, benefitting from late-race incidents and strategic fortune. The wet-dry race saw Norris leap ahead of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri after a late Safety Car was deployed following Fernando Alonso’s crash, which ultimately sealed the race under neutralized conditions.
Initially delayed by 30 minutes due to sudden heavy rainfall at the Miami International Autodrome, the Sprint was reduced to 16 laps. The changeable conditions created a dramatic spectacle, with drivers gambling on strategy and battling inconsistent grip levels.
Norris capitalized on the timing of the Safety Car in the final laps to move into the lead, overtaking Piastri, who had been controlling the race up until that point. The result echoes Norris’s victory at the same circuit a year earlier, which also came thanks to a well-timed Safety Car intervention.
The win narrows Piastri’s lead in the championship to nine points ahead of Sunday’s main Grand Prix, keeping the intra-McLaren title fight alive. Despite losing the lead, Piastri secured second place, continuing his strong run of form.
Lewis Hamilton delivered a standout performance to finish third, marking his second Sprint podium since joining Ferrari. The seven-time world champion made the crucial decision to switch to slick tyres early, a strategy that paid off handsomely. Hamilton revealed the call to pit was his own, prompted by a lack of pace on the intermediate tyres. He had been languishing in sixth but jumped several positions after the tyre change as the track began to dry.
However, it was a day to forget for Hamilton’s teammate, Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver crashed before the race even started, aquaplaning off the track on his way to the grid as the rain intensified. Ferrari had fitted both cars with intermediate tyres, but the worsening conditions made the track treacherous, and Leclerc was unable to control his car, slamming into the barriers.
World champion Max Verstappen also endured a nightmare Sprint. He was handed a 10-second penalty after Red Bull released him unsafely from the pit lane into the path of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. The two made contact, damaging Verstappen’s front wing and forcing Antonelli to miss his scheduled stop. Verstappen finished a distant 17th and last, his first non-scoring Sprint of the season. Antonelli, despite the incident, was later classified seventh after crossing the line in 10th.
The eventful Sprint sets the stage for what promises to be an intense GrandPrix on Sunday.
