Hot Topic
Lando Norris’s fantastic win in Miami last week is going to be the first of many for the talented Englishman. Ever since Lando arrived in Formula 1, first as test and reserve driver before making his F1 debut win 2019, he has been an exciting driver to watch. Team boss Zak Brown feels that, with Lando and team mate Oscar Piastri, he has one of the most exciting driver line-ups on the grid. Miami really showed that.
As a champion in karting and winner of many championships in junior formulae, Lando arrived in Formula 1 as a guy with huge potential. He joined McLaren at a time when the team was rebuilding, redeveloping and working on a long-term plan to return to the front of the grid. But winning Formula 1 takes time, whether for a driver or a team, yet Lando has always shown great speed and consistency.
His first podium came in Austria, 2020, which was the first Grand Prix of a season badly affected by the global pandemic, and he added 14 more podiums before scoring the victory in Miami. That includes six 2nd-placed finishes last season, which was a brilliant run of performances, and everyone could see that the first win was not far away.
What I think was so good about Lando’s win was that it was a genuinely strong performance. He drove with speed and intelligence, controlled the race when he got in front and was able to lap faster than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. The Safety Car timing helped, and also that Max’s car sustained some floor damage, but even before that damage Lando was quicker.
The upgrades that McLaren introduced in June last year really made a difference to the team’s performance across 2023, and again this year the upgrades introduced since the season started have worked. This shows that McLaren, under Team Principal Andrea Stella is working well, both the structure of the team and also the way in which it is identifying and delivering performance improvement. When you give drivers like Lando and Oscar a car which inspires confidence, and then keep adding performance, the results will come.
It took me seven years in F1 before I won my first Grand Prix, and my two World Championships followed. When you learn how to win, you never forget it, so while I have no doubt that Max Verstappen and Red Bull remain the team to beat in F1, Lando, Oscar and McLaren will be hungry to show that Miami is not a one-off.
Take Note
It is 30 years since Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger lost their lives in Imola. Returning this weekend is an important moment for Formula 1 to reflect on the loss of two great people, one of them an experienced World Champion, the other a rookie at the start of his Formula 1 career journey. Ayrton was my team mate at McLaren in 1993, of course, and his loss in Imola had an enormous impact on all of us. Standing beside Michael Schumacher and Nicola Larini on the podium that Sunday, all of us knew that Formula 1 had to change. Fortunately it has, and it’s incredible to think that we have only had one further driver fatality, the Jules Bianchi tragedy, in 30 years. It is an amazing achievement by Formula 1, the FIA, teams and circuit owners.
Mika’s Tip
Max Verstappen and Checo Perez will be aiming to return Red Bull to the top step of the podium this weekend, but both Ferrari and McLaren have the potential to produce a surprise. Ferrari is on home ground, but while their car is not yet consistent enough over a race distance, qualifying could be strong for them and overtaking is much more difficult in Imola – an old-style, narrow circuit. McLaren is also feeling confident, fresh from that win in Miami. Don’t forget Oscar was super quick there as well, even though Lando ultimately took the win. My tip is simple. Don’t bet on Max cruising to an easy win!
