Lando Norris refused to make excuses after McLaren’s tactical misstep cost him victory at the Miami Grand Prix, where he was outmaneuvered by Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli despite leading following a safety car restart. The British driver acknowledged that his team should have pitted first to avoid being undercut, ultimately settling for his first podium finish of the season in second place.
The McLaren driver had seized the lead during the safety car period but lost the advantage when Antonelli’s earlier pit stop on Lap 27 proved to be the winning move. Norris found himself trailing by 1.0-1.5 seconds throughout the race’s second half, unable to mount a successful overtaking attempt as Antonelli cruised to his third consecutive victory.
“We just got undercut, there are no excuses other than that,” Norris stated after the race. “We should have boxed first. Kimi did a good job, and hats off to Mercedes and Kimi, they drove a good race.” The reigning world champion praised his rival’s error-free performance, noting that while mistakes were easy to make on Miami’s challenging circuit with its heavy braking zones, Antonelli provided no opportunities to capitalize.
Despite the disappointment of losing a winnable race, Norris maintained a philosophical outlook about the result. “I’m gutted to miss out here in Miami, the win was possible, but I didn’t have the pace to get back past him in the end, so we take it on the chin,” he explained. The McLaren driver emphasized the tactical nature of the race, particularly regarding battery management and strategic positioning, while expressing pride in his team’s overall weekend performance.