Lando Norris Upsets Max Verstappen to Win 2024 Miami Grand Prix

From May 3-5, the Miami International Autodrome at Hard Stadium in Miami Gardens welcomed racing fans for the 2024 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. For the past two years, Max Verstappen has come away with the trophy. Will he make it a threepeat for Red Bull Racing? Probably, but one can hope there will be a bit of excitement in this year's race.

New Times is reporting live from the Miami Grand Prix, so stay tuned for more coverage and check out the weekend's results below.

Who won the 2024 Miami Grand Prix?

In a remarkable turn of events, 24-year-old McLaren driver Lando Norris emerged victorious, stunning the racing world by defeating reigning two-time champion Max Verstappen in the 2024 Formula One Miami Grand Prix.

Norris seized the opportunity to take the lead when Verstappen collided with a bollard, resulting in front-wing damage and a pit stop. Norris skillfully maintained his position, fending off Verstappen's attempts to regain the lead, ultimately securing his victory. Verstappen finished a respectable second, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari claiming third.

"About time, huh?" Norris remarked after the race. "It's been a long time coming, but finally I managed to do it."

Indeed, the young English driver set the record for most podium finishes without a race win earlier in the season.

McLaren had unveiled major upgrades to its car earlier in the weekend, including a new front wing and bodywork changes designed to improve performance at slow speeds.

The team may have received moral support from an unexpected source: Mere hours before the grand prix, former President Donald Trump was seen leaving the McLaren garage. F1 officials had prevented a fundraiser by Trump's friend and real estate investor Steven Witkoff from being hosted at the Miami Grand Prix. Trump is currently on trial in New York for allegedly falsifying business records ahead of the 2016 election.

In a post-race press conference, Norris, who referred to the Republican presidential candidate by first name, reported that Trump congratulated him on his victory and said he was the victor's "lucky charm."


Norris' McLaren teammate, Australian Oscar Piastri, notched the fastest lap of the weekend after falling to the back of the pack. He sustained front wing damage in a tough dogfight with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and fought his way back to finish in 13th place.

Verstappen, who would have won his third Miami GP in a row if not for Norris, didn't seem upset about coming in second.

"You win, you lose. I think we're all used to that," he said. "If a bad day is P2, I take it, and I'm happy for Lando. It's been a long time coming."

After this weekend, Verstappen is still firmly in the lead in the World Driver's Championships, with his team Red Bull leading in the Constructors' Championships.

Who won the F1 Sprint?

It was over before it began, and as expected, Max Verstappen came out on top in the Miami Grand Prix's F1 Sprint on Saturday afternoon.

The Dutchman easily got past the field at the start of the 19-lap sprint and breezed to victory without incident in a possible preview of tomorrow's main race. An early collision in the midfield knocked out McLaren's Lando Norris, who was then nearly penalized for putting his feet on the track by the race stewards. It's a disappointing result for McLaren after much-hyped upgrades to the car, although team principal Zak Brown noted the car has been running better. The incident also involved both Aston Martin cars. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin reported a tire puncture after the collision.

One very happy driver after the sprint is Daniel Ricciardo of RB, who managed to hold off the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and come away with a fourth-place finish. It's a big result for the Australian, who returned to the Red Bull organization last year but almost immediately got injured and had to skip several late-season races.

Ricciardo's RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda also took some bold action, inserting himself into a protracted battle between Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Magnussen ended up with a ten-point penalty after going off-track multiple times, which dropped him into 17th at the race's end. Tsunoda's euphoria was short-lived, as Hamilton managed to take back eighth place just before the end of the race.

The 2024 Miami GP marks the first-ever F1 Sprint in Miami and the first sprint race of the 2024 season in North America. The first sprint race of the year took place at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai in April.

The drivers have complained about the new sprint format reducing their practice time. In this format, a qualifying session for the main race immediately follows the sprint on Saturday ahead of a race on Sunday. Previously, the sprint had acted as the qualifying session for the main race.