Red Bull suffered an exceedingly rare defeat at the Miami Grand Prix last weekend. McLaren driver Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen to score his first-ever F1 win.
Norris did need a helping hand from the safety car, which came out at the perfect time after a crash involving Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant. That allowed him to make his one and only pit stop and retain the lead.
However, the British driver had been rapid earlier in the race, suggesting he could at least have mounted a challenge even without that bit of luck. And when he went directly head-to-head with Verstappen, he streaked clear.
It’s a weekend that’s raised hopes of a more competitive fight at the front of the grid. McLaren brought an ‘astonishing’ upgrade package, while Ferrari will bring some ‘massive’ updates to the next race in Imola.
Norris had shown flashes of the revised MCL38’s potential even before Sunday’s race. He set the fastest time in sprint qualifying on Friday afternoon, but unfortunately he did so in SQ2 rather than SQ3.
He threatened to compete for the win if he put everything together, and that’s ultimately what happened. He’ll hope to score more victories before the year is out after breaking his duck.
Verstappen remains the overwhelming favourite for this year’s championship. He’s already built up a commanding 33-point lead over Sergio Perez, and a 38-point edge over his nearest non-Red Bull challenger Charles Leclerc.
But the hope for the neutral will be that victories for the Dutchman aren’t quite a foregone conclusion for the remainder of the year. And that could set up a titanic title fight in 2025.
Zak Brown hopes McLaren can capitalise on off-track Red Bull issues
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, McLaren CEO Zak Brown was asked whether Norris’ win could mark a turning point in F1. The suggestion was that it could signal the end of Red Bull’s dominance.
The Bulls have crushed the competition in the ground effect era, most notably in 2023. They won 21 out of 22 races, the most dominant campaign in F1 history.
Brown didn’t want to read too much one into one race and is very much keeping his feet on the ground. But he did hint that off-track could problems could play into McLaren’s hands.
“No I think that would be a bit premature thinking their time has gone but clearly with everything that has been going on this year, and now Adrian Newey leaving, it’s clear that team has some issues beyond the race car,” he said.
What is Christian Horner dealing with at Red Bull?
As Brown alludes to, the biggest story at Red Bull recently has been the resignation of Newey. The team formally announced his departure ahead of the race in Miami.
Newey is expected to be out the door by February 2025, at which point he could join a rival outfit. Ferrari appear to be the favourites right now after Fred Vasseur held talks with the designer in London last week.
Red Bull have tried to downplay the significance of the 65-year-old’s exit despite his legendary track record. But David Croft isn’t convinced, and Newey himself feels he’s been more influential in their recent success than they have acknowledged.
The other big question around the world champions concerns the future of Verstappen. Speculation went up a notch when father Jos warned that the team was at risk of ‘falling apart’ following Newey’s exit.
Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff got involved in Miami, warning Toto Wolff to stop courting his superstar driver. Verstappen has publicly offered him his backing.
But privately, he held a rescheduled meeting with Mercedes boss Wolff on Monday. He seems to be genuinely considering the switch to Brackley ahead of the regulation changes in 2026.
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