After 110 grand prix begins and 16 podium finishes, McLaren driver Norris gained his maiden F1 race on Sunday after he benefitted from a security automobile interval following a collision between Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Williams driver Logan Sargeant.
Norris was operating fourth when his most important rivals started to make their first and solely pitstops, which they made earlier than the protection automobile was deployed.
The McLaren driver, main after his rivals had stopped, was in a position to pit and rejoin nonetheless in first place due to early chief Max Verstappen being slowed by the protection automobile.
Ferrari’s Sainz was one other of the drivers who didn’t profit from the protection automobile, and he felt he “may have gained” the race had he pitted a lap later.
However in line with the Spaniard, the “fortunate” circumstances didn’t detract from Norris’s victory, because the Ferrari driver felt the Brion was absolutely deserving.
“I feel luck involves the fellows who deserve it,” mentioned Sainz. “Lando is a kind of guys that deserved just a little little bit of luck this weekend to win his first race.
“Between us drivers, we all know who deserves to win races and who’s driving on the stage to win races. And everyone knows Lando has been driving to win races. And when he will get lastly gained we’re all blissful for him,” Sainz added.
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Sainz, who was Norris’s team-mate at McLaren throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons, mentioned his pal and rival had been driving like a race winner for a while now.
Norris had completed on the rostrum twice this yr, together with a second-place outcome within the Chinese language GP.
“In F1, there’s simply this luck issue that Lando obtained and gained a race,” Sainz mentioned. “However he is been driving like a race winner for a lot of, many races in a row now. And he simply deserves that win. Luck no luck, does not matter.
“He is a race winner. And it was about time that it was coming for him.
“And other people simply want to just accept that when you do not have the very best automobile, typically you want a little bit of luck.”
Norris himself admitted within the post-race press convention it could have been tough to win the race with out the free pitstop: “It could have been powerful. I might have needed to overtake two Ferraris, a Pink Bull, Oscar [Piastri].”
Three-time champion Verstappen, who was second behind Norris in Miami, interrupted the Briton so as to add: “I imply, it is at all times if, if, if, proper? If my mum had balls, she could be my dad.
“So, yeah, it is the way it goes with racing. Typically it really works out for you, typically it does not.”
Watch: F1 2024 Miami GP Assessment – Lando Seizes his Historic Maiden Win