Lando Norris: I knew my time would come

After his first victory in Formula 1, Lando Norris spoke emotionally about his feelings…

Question: Lando, congratulations. You’ve been running towards this victory for a long time. How do you feel now?
Lando Norris: The feeling is incredible. A sea of ​​fans. The entire team is under the podium. Everyone laughs and applauds. Honestly, I don’t know what to say.

On a day like today you realize how much hard work you leave behind. Everyone dreams of victory, but no one knows when it will come. Today is my day. And even though my emotions got the best of me at times, I stayed calm and remembered what I had done to get to this point.

Question: Like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders?
Lando Norris: I’d like to say no, but yes. The first win is incredible. There have been races before where I was close to winning but failed to win. A lot of people doubted that I could win the race, but I wasn’t worried about it.

This year, I felt more confident than ever that the team and I had everything we needed to do this – and I waited patiently. I just did my job, raced, qualified, did what I know how to do. I knew my time would come. I said this this morning.

It’s not often that I look at things with optimism, but this weekend we were always fast. We did an excellent job on Friday. There was some kind of spark. And maybe we lost it a little bit on Saturday. But today she returned and turned into a flame. Incredible breed!

Question: At the end of the first lap you were sixth. Did you believe at that moment that you could win?
Lando Norris: No. When I saw Perez inside, I had to go back to Saturday’s sprint. I spent the entire first segment behind him, but by the end of the segment my pace was the best on the track. And I still saw Max – he couldn’t tear himself away.

When you see Max, there is hope. This doesn’t happen often. That’s why I didn’t bow my head, I knew there was a chance.

Sometimes luck has to be on your side, and today that was the case. After the safety car I was confident that I would succeed.

Question: This weekend the team finalized the car. Can you now fight for victories regularly?
Lando Norris: At the beginning of the year I said we can win races. Then many doubted my words, didn’t believe in me, didn’t believe in McLaren. But I believed. I knew our time had come.

The team did a great job. Last year we didn’t even qualify for the second part of qualifying, but today we rose to the top and won the race. We have found our way forward, with a lot of hard work behind us. But gradually everything came together.

I have to say a huge thank you to everyone at McLaren, everyone at the grassroots, everyone here, because without these new products and the hard work they’ve put in, I would have had much less chance of winning. But this is just the beginning. And now I’m already hungry for more. We will keep working and I am sure we will keep winning.

Question: What are your plans for tonight?
Lando Norris: I was supposed to leave today, but Zack said we were flying tomorrow. I’m definitely not going to bed. I want to enjoy the moment. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have more than just a scratch on my nose, but I don’t care. The first victory is a one-off. It’s nice to win it here in Miami. I hoped it would happen at Silverstone, but I will try to win there too.

Q: Tell us how you defended yourself against Max’s attack on the restart. It looked like you could pull away in the first sector. Was the car particularly good there?
Lando Norris: I have to say that over the years I have not often been in the lead on the restart behind the safety car. I didn’t react well and almost missed the attack, but I promise I’ll work on it.

I defended myself in the first corner, kept the lead and was confident I wouldn’t give it up. On the open track the car was very fast. When I rode in a group before, the speed wasn’t very noticeable, but on a free track with fresher tires I was able to push it.

Max is usually quiet at first, but then suddenly seems to shift into second gear and disappear into the distance. I used to be a little afraid of this. But not today. You just had to stay focused, keep the car on the track and not make any mistakes. The car drove great. I already said that the sensations on Friday were excellent, and on Sunday they came back in full force. That was amazing!

Lately we have often been fast on Sundays, but today we managed to improve and achieve more. I attacked until the finish. I wanted to leave the fastest lap at the end of the race, but I imagined Andrea [руководитель команды] on the pit wall thinks, “No, Lando, please.” He talked to me and I decided I just had to finish to keep everyone happy. But until this moment I wanted to drive away, I didn’t want to see Max in the mirrors at the finish. And he wasn’t there. I’m very happy.

Question: Do you remember the Sochi 2021 race? Did you think something could go wrong, like back then?
Lando Norris: At the Russian Grand Prix in 2021 there was a very different situation than today. That’s where the team and I missed the win. We just couldn’t handle it.

Yes, many doubted I could win and withstand the pressure of leading the race, especially with Max behind him, but this year I feel more confident than ever. No, I couldn’t remember that race. Maybe I had remembered it last year, but now I was completely focused on piloting.

I do my job. I’m fast, I’ve improved a lot of my weaknesses and that hard work has paid off. So no, I haven’t thought about it. I smiled. I thought about how I would celebrate? What shall I say? I’m not very good at improvising in these situations. So I practiced my lines. On stage I spoke so emotionally that now even my throat hurts.

Question: Have you already spoken to mom and dad, what is their reaction? And you mentioned your grandmother. Can you tell us about this…
Lando Norris: Yeah, I talked to Mom and Dad, which is always nice because they… Usually Dad comes to the races, but not today. I’m sure he regrets it a little. My parents are very supportive. All this happened thanks to them. They were the ones who got me into racing, helped me get into Formula 1 and make my dream come true. I am very grateful to them for everything!

I remember the first time I was on the court, I was five or six years old. My brother, my father and I stood there and watched the cars go by. And today I stand at the top of the podium.

Grandma hasn’t been feeling well lately. I saw her last week and I said I was going to win the race. I didn’t say when. I just said I was going to win. I didn’t think it would happen so quickly. So I’m just very happy.

Q: You said earlier that your glass is half full. Is it full now?
Lando Norris: Doubtless. I don’t know what it’s filled with… Probably strong alcohol. It will be tonight.

I always enjoyed the moments when I could go out and do it. I’m one of those people who only become happy when I do my job 100%. And today I showed what I am capable of.

This year I worked hard and eliminated many of my weaknesses. I always want to deliver 100%. And I don’t think that will change. And let the glass be half full, but this is the way of thinking that suits me.

Everyone has their own approach, their own way of talking to themselves. I don’t do this for other people, but for myself. This is how it works for me. This is my way of moving forward. There will be days when the glass is full, I will be happy and proud of myself. Everyone will have days like this, everyone should have them!