Lando Norris laid it out in blunt terms after falling short in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix – strategy, not speed, cost him victory.
The McLaren driver led a chunk of Sunday’s race and looked firmly in the fight, only to lose track position to eventual winner Kimi Antonelli during the pit stop phase. From that moment on, Norris was chasing a race that had already slipped just out of reach.
The pivotal moment came when Norris stayed out one lap longer than Antonelli. It proved just enough for the Mercedes driver to execute a clean undercut and emerge ahead – a position he would never relinquish.
For Norris, the conclusion was simple and unvarnished.
“A mixed bag, really. We just got undercut,” he said. “No excuses other than that. We got undercut; we should have boxed first. Kimi did a good job, hats off to Merc and Kimi – they drove a good race.”
Despite pushing hard in the second stint, Norris found himself stuck in dirty air, unable to mount a decisive move on Antonelli.
“It’s easy to make mistakes out there with the big braking zones and with these cars, but he didn’t make any big enough for me to capitalise on. I have to be happy, and I think as a team we have to be happy,” he added.
“I’m gutted to miss out on a win here in Miami, I think it was possible today, but not the pace to get back past him in the end. We take it on the chin, and it’s still a positive weekend altogether.”
Fine margins and tactical battles
Norris pointed to the razor-thin margins that defined the race, where execution – rather than outright pace – proved decisive.
“You still have to be tactical with how you use the battery; you can easily just get caught up in the wrong running of things and get caught out badly,” he said.
“But other than that, I feel like I did a good job, and the team did a good job all weekend, so I have to be proud of everyone.”
It was a mature reflection from a driver who knew the opportunity was there—but also recognised how easily it can disappear in modern Formula 1.
Piastri adds late spark
On the other side of the garage, Oscar Piastri salvaged a strong result with a late charge to third, overtaking the wounded Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in the closing laps.
“It’s not been the most straightforward of weekends,” Piastri conceded after the Grand Prix. “I think qualifying yesterday was a bit messy for both of us [McLaren drivers], but the pace seemed more encouraging again today.
“I had to make a few overtakes, and obviously the end of the race was a pretty late charge, but it’s just very, very tricky around here, especially in these conditions. Thanks to the team. Clearly, we’re a step closer in performance once again, so it’s nice to see.”
The Australian also highlighted the bigger picture for McLaren, with the team edging closer to the front.
“I think this weekend we showed that if we get track position, we can hang onto things well,” he explained.
“We were close in Japan, but we’ve definitely taken a step forward, and hopefully in Canada we can take another step forward again. I’m excited for the future.”
For Norris, though, Miami will linger as a case of what might have been—a race where one extra lap on track made all the difference between victory and second place.
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