Lando Norris admits that he actually wanted to pit alongside Oscar Piastri in the Miami sprint, but was forced to follow the winning strategy
McLaren scored a one-two victory in the chaotic Formula 1 sprint in Miami, but in the end, everyone is talking about the order in which the two MCL39s crossed the finish line: Lando Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri, even though it was the other way around for a long time. The decisive factor: the safety car after Lawson and Alonso crashed while Norris was in the pits.
Piastri actually had all the cards in his hand: the Australian was the first of the two McLaren drivers to switch to the faster slicks. Norris came in a lap later and caught the safety car, which gave him the lead – because under safety car conditions, all cars have to slow down, which significantly reduces the time lost during tire changes.
Norris hinted that he didn’t actually agree with the strategy: “I would have liked to have stopped at the same time as Oscar, but that wasn’t possible. I was too close, a ‘double stack’ would have cost us too much time – I would have fallen behind more cars.”
So the Brit had no choice but to stay out, and he promptly hit the jackpot: “Basically, I was forced to stay out – that’s what won me the race. But I already had good pace on the intermediates, especially towards the end of the stint.”
Shortly before the pit stop, he was already putting pressure on Piastri, who even cut the chicane once. “I managed the tires well and was able to drive another strong lap before pitting. That helped,” Norris believes. He also hints that his tire management was better than Piastri’s.
Piastri: That was just bad luck
The championship leader, on the other hand, has to come to terms with losing the sprint victory. “The timing was just right. I had already considered stopping a lap earlier, but we would have ended up in the middle of traffic,” explains the Australian.
“With only one dry line, that’s not a great position. That’s why we stayed out for another lap. It was definitely time for slicks – the safety car was just bad luck.”
LAP 14/18
‘A lot of debris at the chicane,’ says Norris
An onboard view with Norris as Piastri skips the chicane shows it! F1 F1Sprint MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/uNZowOFjDI
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 3, 2025
Finishing the race on intermediates was never an option for Piastri: “The inters were done. Even if you had stayed out, you would have ended up on slicks; not because you changed them, but because there would have been nothing left of the inters.”
Start duel with Antonelli: “Both braked a little late.”
In addition to the pit stop, the first corner of the sprint also provided plenty of talking points. Piastri got off to a strong start from second place and attacked pole-sitter Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli tried to hold him off on the outside but ended up in the run-off area when Piastri spread out. As in a similar situation with Max Verstappen in Jeddah, the stewards did not intervene.
“I had a very good start and was level,” Piastri described. ”I think we both braked a little too late, there was slight contact. But I got the car cleanly around the corner. If the safety car hadn’t come out, the maneuver would probably have earned me the sprint win.”
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella also defended the move: “Oscar stayed completely on the track. For us, it was a clean maneuver.”
Antonelli ⚔️ Piastri
The Sprint begins with a bold move from championship leader Oscar Piastri F1 F1Sprint MiamiGP pic. twitter.com/FF8ihcJwr6
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 3, 2025
The race stewards saw it the same way – there was no investigation. Antonelli complained about the incident over the radio and said after the race that it annoyed him – but it doesn’t change the result.
McLaren satisfied but wary for qualifying
Despite the happy outcome, McLaren remains cautious. “The drivers and team executed the sprint race almost perfectly,” praised Stella. ‘But the weather remains unpredictable, also for qualifying. We have to stay alert.’
After a strong Friday and the double victory in the sprint, the signs point to another clean sweep for McLaren. But the team is not taking this for granted.
