Congratulations are in order: Lando Norris is now a Formula 1 winner!
The Bristol, England-born 24-year-old, who has raced for team McLaren for his entire five-year F1 career, took his maiden place on the top step of the podium at the Grand Prix in Miami yesterday, holding off the formidable Max Verstappen, who until the Miami race had won 22 of the last 24 races. (It proved to be a big weekend overall for McLaren: Bianca Bustamante also had her first podium finish of the season in the F1 Academy race on Sunday.)
As he crossed the finish line, the TV picked up his audio: Norris let out two huge screams, and then a laugh (which, in Norris’ nature, is more of a giggle–the internet kind of goes crazy for his slightly goofy and highly likable persona). And then: “I love you all. I love you all. Thank you so much. I knew it. I knew it when I came into this moment.”
Norris and I actually chatted a few days before the race—about what was working going into the landmark weekend, his state of mind in 2024, his sense of style, and his not-so-secret passion for photography.
Vogue: Hey Lando—thanks for this, I know you’re busy on race week—there’s so much going on in Miami right now.
LandonNorris: All good! Yeah, it’s been fun—I’ve been playing padel at a place called Reserve.
Love that place—by the Miami Design District, right?
Yeah, exactly. I try to play padel wherever I am. I play back home in Monaco, or in the UK when I can. Some of the other drivers take it more seriously, but I like to just do it with my friends.
Where’s your head at right now, both with Miami and with the season so far?
Honestly, there aren’t too many things that are different. I think we’re in quite a settled place, in a good way—everyone [on the team] is working together in a better way than ever before. We’ve got our heads down, too. There’s a lot of noise coming from other teams and places, but you know, me and Oscar [Piastri, the other McLaren driver], we’re really focusing on what we need to focus on—and 2024 has been strong. We’re consistently there, even on tracks we didn’t expect to be quite as quick on. Really, there are no negatives at the moment—we’re just putting in good, consistent performances. And when things go that way, we get on the podium. I think this weekend will be exciting. I think it will shake things up a bit.