Landmark Day For Lando Norris: What The Drivers Said

It was a landmark day for Lando Norris who took his first win in Formula 1, winning the 2024 Miami Grand Prix in fine style.

At the conclusion of the race, the likeable Brit was congratulated up and down the paddock, with his former teammate Fernando Alonso one of the first to pass on his congratulations.

Here’s what the other drivers said about the McLaren driver’s first victory in F1…

Lewis Hamilton

“I am so happy for Lando and McLaren. They have both been doing a great job and they deserve today’s victory. It’s great to see McLaren so competitive. I also know how special it is to get your first Grand Prix victory so a big well done to Lando.”

George Russell

“A massive well done to Lando and McLaren. He truly deserves it, and all told, he probably deserves to have more than one victory already by now. We’ve been racing each other for a long time; he’s put so much hard work in, and I had no doubts that he would win in F1. I’m very happy for him.”

Fernando Alonso

“After a difficult day yesterday, it was good to come away from this weekend with some points for the team. We got a bit lucky with the timing of the Virtual Safety Car and then the full Safety Car bunching the field up. We then took this opportunity to fit the Medium tyres. This changed our strategy a little bit and allowed us to have some good battles out there.

“I enjoyed the racing and it seems we showed a little more performance in the race than we did in Qualifying. We do have some work to do to improve our performance in the next couple of races. I am happy for Lando [Norris]. It’s always special to secure your first win.”

Max Verstappen

“I mean, you win, you lose. I think we’re all used to that in racing, right? But, yeah, today was just a bit tricky. I think already on the Mediums it didn’t feel fantastic. We were pulling away, but not like it should be. And then once we made the pit stop, and I heard what lap times the McLarens were doing, I was like, ‘wow, that’s pretty quick’. So yeah, once they then also switched on to the Hard tyre, they just had more pace. And especially Lando, he was flying. Yeah, it was incredibly difficult for us on that stint. But if a bad day is P2, I take it, right? And I’m very happy for Lando. It’s been a long time coming. And it’s not going to be his last one. He definitely deserves it today.”

Daniel Ricciardo

“Taking the positives, the team leaves Miami very happy; I had a good Sprint-qualifying and Sprint in the previous days, and Yuki also got some points today. I’m also genuinely happy for Lando, big congratulations to him, he is a rival but also a friend. I know how talented he is and I knew it was just a matter of time for him to take his first win.”

Charles Leclerc

“Well, first of all, I’m really happy for Lando. He deserves it. Very often, he arrived very close to it, but for one reason or another, he didn’t make it. But today, he did an incredible job, and the whole weekend, he has been on it. And already in Q2, I think there was a lap where I was like, ‘OK, they are very, very strong’. And we were expecting them to be strong, maybe not as strong as what they’ve shown today, but he fully deserves it. And now it’s up to us to hopefully bring the upgrades very quickly and catch up.”

Carlos Sainz

“Congratulations to Lando, I’m truly happy for him! He deserved a win for a long time and today was his day.

“Looking at my race I would say the opposite, it wasn’t my day. The start was very good but I went from P2 at turn 1 to P4 after having to avoid Perez. From there I was in a DRS train for some laps and decided to open the gap, take care of the tyres and extend my first stint to try something different. Unfortunately, the Safety Car came out the lap after I pitted and we lost a chance to lead the race. It is what it is.”

Oscar Piastri

“A great day for the team, but a disappointing afternoon on my side. I feel like we did a lot of things right in the first half of the race but a few things didn’t go our way in the second half. The car felt the best it’s been all year, so I don’t think my result should take away from the performance by the rest of the team. Well done to Lando and everyone at McLaren. The race was won on merit today and it’s really promising for what’s to come.”

Andrea Stella – McLaren Team Principal

“Victory today in Miami is meaningful for many reasons. First of all, for Lando and his first F1 win. I am happy from the bottom of our hearts for him. We’ve often said as soon as we give him winning material, he’s going to win. He did it in style.

“Beyond that, it’s a very important day for the team. We’ve been on a journey for some time, after an incredible turnaround last year. We’ve kept momentum, and today is another very important step and hopefully the starting point for greater success. So, I’m very happy for all the people at McLaren, I hope they enjoy this moment because I know how much work has gone into delivering these upgrades. It’s not just design or just manufacturing, it’s an effort across every department at the factory and from the trackside team. This goes beyond just the people at McLaren: it goes to our power unit partners at HPP and our technical and commercial partners who are vital to this success. It’s teamwork in the widest possible sense.

“The car was very good this weekend – and it’s worth noting Oscar was in a very strong position to be on the podium as well, as he drove a very good race.

“Lastly, my final word is for Gil de Ferran, to whom this victory is dedicated to by the whole team. Gil, this is for you.”

Toto Wolff – Mercedes Team Principal & CEO

“Firstly, well done to McLaren and Lando. He has long been overdue his first win and today he drove a very strong race. McLaren have been on a big upward trajectory since last year and that is good for us to see; it shows what is possible. Congratulations too to everyone involved in designing, manufacturing, and operating the Mercedes Power Unit at High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth.”

Fred Vasseur – Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP

“First of all I want to congratulate Lando and McLaren because it’s a first win for a driver who is very popular in the paddock and we are happy for him. It was also a good result for Formula 1 as a whole.”