06 May 2024 , 12:50
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Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur gatecrashed the McLaren celebrations with a bottle of champagne after Lando Norris stormed to a monumental victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
At the 110th attempt of his five-year career, Norris capitalised on the chance presented to him by a fortuitously timed safety car to beat second-placed Max Verstappen and win his first ever Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc finished third, while a grid penalty for Carlos Sainz dropped him to fifth with Sergio Perez moving to fourth.
Despite failing to win, Verstappen led the congratulations from his rival as, one after another, they gave him a huge hug to celebrate his success. Verstappen heaped praise on the Brit and claimed he "deserved it" in his post-race interview, while Lewis Hamilton admitted he was "so happy for Lando".
The McLaren team celebrated their success (Sky Sports)After receiving his winners' trophy and medal on the podium, Norris and McLaren celebrated with a team photo in front of the garage. Over 50 members of staff were present, including team principal Andrea Stella as McLaren toasted a first Grand Prix win of their own since Monza in 2021.
However, after a number of different team photos were taken, bottles of champagne were popped and sprayed in the direction of Norris. Among those joining in the party were Ferrari boss Vasseur, who appeared from behind a photographer with a McLaren cap on his head before darting towards the celebrations.
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Even Fred Vasseur was getting involved with the McLaren celebrations (Sky Sports)Once he sprayed his bottle, Vasseur then walked over to pour any remaining last drop of alcohol near Norris and the McLaren media team. Despite both members of his team finishing third and fifth, Vasseur appeared to cut a delighted figure - like most of the circuit - for Norris.
Reacting to his success, Norris said: "About time, huh? What a race. It's been a long time coming but finally I've managed to do it. I'm so happy for my whole team - I've finally delivered for them. It was a long day, a tough race, but I'm finally on top and over the moon."
Norris was due to fly back to England after the race, but following advice from Hamilton, he confirmed himself that his flight had been changed to Monday so that he can toast his maiden victory.
"I was meant to fly [tonight], but Zak [Brown] just told me we fly tomorrow," Norris revealed. "I'm not going to sleep - I'm going all the way! I might have just a scratch on my nose tomorrow, but I don’t care. This only happens once, when you’re taking your first win.
"It’s nice that it was here at Miami - I was kind of hoping it would be at Silverstone but I’ll try to do it there as well. Tonight is going to be a good night."
Verstappen, who was beaten by the speed of Norris over the 57 laps, was gracious in defeat. "If I get beaten, it's great that it has been done by Lando," the Dutchman said. "He deserves it. It's been a long time coming and it's going to be the first of many.
"Maybe it's also a bit of relief for him that he has that win now, who knows what's going to happen next? But for sure they had a strong weekend. Maybe it was a little bit messy still [on Saturday] but today they were flying - and especially Lando was flying. So definitely very happy for him."