Lando Norris: Race Winner

Where's the trophy? He just comes running over to me.

As the final laps of the Miami Grand Prix counted down, the sports bar became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. After lap 39 it was clear this race would be different than any other we’ve seen this season. I can’t read minds, but I just knew every single person in the bar was thinking the same thing. Could Lando Norris finally win a race?

It was a stupid thought. Honestly, it doesn’t cross my mind at first. As Lando led the race ahead of Max Verstappen, it just looked like any other race. Soon enough Max would catch him like a shark in water as always. But as the drivers kept going and the positions remained the same, a nervous feeling swarmed my stomach.

“Maybe he’s just saving his tyres, he’ll definitely attack later,” my friend whispered next to me.

“Yeah, I think you’re right. Just give it time,” I replied. It felt like we were trying to come up with any explanation we could for what we were witnessing.

By lap 50, the reality started sinking in. Max was seven seconds behind Lando, and unless there was another Sochi 2021 incident or he decided to pull a George Russell, it looked like we would have a new race winner.

Not everyone in that bar was a Lando fan. I was sporting my Mercedes hat and my friend had her Ferrari hat. Actually, there wasn’t one Papaya-colored merch in sight. But you never would have known, because the way the bar erupted with excitement as Lando Norris started his final lap, you would think they were all die-hard McLaren fans.

As Lando neared the finish line, the chanting and clapping started. Every single person, whether a Mercedes fan, a Ferrari fan, or a McLaren fan, was up and cheering. There’s something so special about shared moments like this, where you don’t know anyone but you know you’re all happy.

Lando Norris crossed the line, a Grand Prix winner. It was a long time coming. The way he ran over to his team and they lifted him like a king, it was beautiful to watch.

You’re probably thinking, “Jo, I thought you weren’t a Lando fan?” Good observation.

While I may not be a Lando fan, I’m a big fan of hard work and dedication, and I can always appreciate a spectacular moment like this. How could you not?

After five years of hard work with McLaren and a lifetime of dreaming, Lando Norris had finally done it. In the end, it was all worth it. As George Russell said,

“It was always when, not if.”