MIAMI – Lando Norris said he knew his first Formula One victory was a matter of when, not if, and that he never shared the doubts of his harshest critics.
Norris won at the Miami circuit which snakes around the outside of the Hard Rock Stadium, his first in 110 starts.
Before Sunday he had the unenviable record of the most podium finishes without winning.
The Englishman has for a long time been considered one of the sport’s most exciting talents but until Sunday had been unable to convert it to a victory.
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Asked if it was a weight off his shoulders, Norris said: “As much as I want to say no, it’s a yes! To get that first victory is always incredible. I’ve of course had my moments where I’ve been close, and I’ve never been able to convert it into the win.
“But I wasn’t worried. As much as a lot of people doubted that I was going to be able to put it together and win a race, I wasn’t worried.”
He added: “I dream of these days sometimes. You never know when they’re going to come towards you, but today was that day. As much as my mind was going crazy, I was thinking a lot of things, I was also quiet. It’s just a bit lonely out there at times and it’s nice to reflect on everything you’ve done to get to this point.”
Norris came into the Miami Grand Prix fielding questions about the cut he sustained on his nose during a celebration in Amsterdam for King’s Day.
The McLaren driver joked he had another party planned to celebrate his maiden triumph and said he will hope to repeat at the British Grand Prix later this year.
“I’m not gonna sleep,” he said of his plans on Sunday night. “I’m going all the way!
“I might have more than just a scratch on my nose tomorrow… I was kind of hoping [the first] was going to be at Silverstone but i’ll try to do it there as well.”