Lando Norris won the Miami Grand Prix after overtaking Max Verstappen post-safety car, a victory Helmut Marko believes Verstappen could have secured without earlier floor damage from hitting a pole, despite acknowledging McLaren’s superior race pace and top speed.
Highlights
– ‣ Lando Norris won the Miami Grand Prix, overtaking Max Verstappen after a safety car incident, despite Verstappen’s earlier lead and floor damage from hitting a pole.
– ‣ Helmut Marko believes Verstappen could have won against Norris if not for the damage sustained, highlighting the impact of the safety car and the free pit stop opportunity it provided Norris.
– ‣ Marko acknowledges that even before the incident, Red Bull Racing struggled with car balance and grip, admitting they did not have the fastest car compared to Ferrari, independent of temperature conditions.
Wow, wasn’t that Miami Grand Prix a stunner? Lando Norris, yeah, that guy, left everyone’s jaw on the floor. He didn’t just win; he zoomed past Max Verstappen right after the safety car took a breather. And Max? Poor fella had his car’s floor kissed by a pole earlier. Ouch.
Helmut Marko, you know, the Red Bull guru, spilled some beans in his Speedweek.com column. He reckons Max would’ve aced it against Norris if it weren’t for that pesky damage. Makes you wonder, huh?
So, here’s the scoop. Norris found himself leading the pack when Logan Sargeant and Kevin Magnussen decided to tango, bringing out the safety car. Norris, slick as ever, hadn’t pitted yet. Talk about luck! He grabbed a ‘free pit stop’ and kept the lead like it was no biggie, even after a shaky restart.
‘Verstappen would have won from Norris without damage’
Marko’s got opinions. He thinks Max had the race in the bag before the safety car drama. He said, “If Max had stayed up front, it would certainly have been an exciting race, although I think that he could have kept Norris behind him, despite McLaren’s better race pace and top speed. Before the safety car, he had an 11-second lead over Norris.” Imagine that!
But wait, there’s more. Marko didn’t stop there. He pointed out that Red Bull’s Achilles’ heel was the first corner. Max himself admitted they couldn’t find the sweet spot with the car’s balance or grip all weekend. And speed-wise? They were barely nudging ahead of Ferrari before Max’s encounter with the pole. And nope, the weather wasn’t to blame. It was all about the car and, well, a bit of bad luck.
So, there you have it. A race that could’ve been a predictable win turned into a spectacle, thanks to a pole, a safety car, and a bit of strategy. Only in Formula 1, folks. Only in Formula 1.
