Lando Norris won his first-ever Formula 1 race in Miami due to a significant mistake by safety car driver Bernd Mayländer and the FIA, which unfairly disadvantaged Max Verstappen.
Highlights
‣ A massive blunder by the FIA and safety car driver Bernd Mayländer significantly impacted the outcome of the race, denying Max Verstappen a win and inadvertently benefiting Lando Norris.
‣ The key moment in the race was when Mayländer failed to pick up race leader Lando Norris with the safety car, instead picking up Max Verstappen, allowing Norris to maintain his lead and eventually win the race after a pit stop during the safety car period.
‣ Lando Norris’s victory, while not under typical circumstances, showcased his ability to capitalize on the opportunities presented to him, despite the FIA’s mishandling of the safety car situation.
‣ The incident highlighted issues within the FIA’s management of race control and safety car deployments, calling into question their competence and the fairness of their decision-making process during critical moments of a race.
Oh, the drama that unfolded in Miami! Lando Norris, that Brit everyone seems to like, snagged his first-ever F1 win. But, let’s be real: was he the one who deserved it? Not to throw shade, but thanks to a massive FIA goof-up, Max Verstappen missed out on what could’ve been his victory lap.
So, what went down? Well, it all started with a bit of chaos on laps 28 and 29. Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen decided to tango on the track, bringing out the safety car. Norris was leading at this point. Unlike Verstappen, he hadn’t pitted yet. But then—oops!—he realized too late the safety car was on its way. It looked like Norris’s chance was slipping away.
Enter Mayländer, stage left, with a plot twist. Just 12 seconds after the safety car signal, Norris zoomed past the start-finish line. Barely five seconds later, he was at the pit lane’s end, expecting to see the safety car. But Mayländer? He missed the memo, failing to catch Norris 17 seconds after the call. Then, he goofed up big time by picking up Verstappen instead of waiting for Norris.
This mix-up let Norris keep his lead, pit for fresh tyres, and then zoom off after the safety car period, leaving Verstappen in the dust. Honestly, it was like watching a soap opera but with really fast cars.
Now, don’t get it twisted. Norris driving away from Verstappen post-restart was nothing short of impressive. But, if the FIA had its act together, Norris would’ve been way back in the pack, probably fighting for seventh, not first.
It’s not Norris’s fault, though. The guy just played the hand he was dealt, and who wouldn’t? But the FIA? Yikes. That was a couple of minutes of pure facepalm, with Mayländer smack dab in the middle. Was he daydreaming? Missed the memo that Norris was leading? It was a blunder that had everyone talking, and not in a good way.
