The path to victories in Formula One is a long and grueling one. Just ask Lando Norris, who finally secured his first F1 win last Sunday on his 110th attempt.
From the driver’s point of view, success at the highest level requires persistence, mental fortitude and a great deal of skill to ensure any opportunity — no matter how slim — is exploited. From the team, it requires a constant search for marginal gains, an understanding when to stick or twist on a development path and the combined efforts of hundreds of people to turn that vision into reality.
While it’s true Norris’ breakthrough win was aided by the fortuitous timing of a safety car, it shouldn’t mask the hard work that contributed to the performance of the car behind the scenes. Against opposition as strong as Max Verstappen and Red Bull, luck alone will get you only so far and will rarely be enough to come out on top.
– Norris beats Verstappen in Miami GP for first F1 win
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In order to take advantage of a situation like the one Norris encountered in Miami, the car needs to be performing on a high level. The difference in performance between Red Bull and McLaren at the majority of races this season would likely have given Verstappen a shot at reclaiming the lead in the Miami scenario, but on this occasion Norris’ McLaren was quick enough to pull a gap over the three-time champion.
That was partly down to Verstappen’s unease with the car’s performance throughout the weekend and the fact his car had floor damage after he ran over a bollard at the Turn 14 and Turn 15 chicane. But it was also down to the performance level of the McLaren in Miami — a performance level that had a slightly higher ceiling thanks to the team’s efforts to bring nine upgrades to Norris’ car ahead of schedule.
“I have to say a big thanks to all of McLaren, everyone back in the factory, everyone that’s here, because it would have been a lot less likely that I won today without these upgrades and without the hard work that they’ve been putting into everything,” Norris said after the race.
“So, I would like to say it’s the start. And now I’m already hungry for more. But, yeah, we’ll keep our heads down. We’ll keep pushing and I’m sure we can be here a lot more often.”
McLaren’s upgrade package for Miami (only 50 percent of which available on the second…
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