Lando Norris makes seven-word admission after Miami Grand Prix sprint chaos

Lando Norris admitted luck was on his side after he cashed in on Fernando Alonso’s late shunt in Miami to win Saturday’s rain-hit sprint race. Norris’ McLaren team-mate and championship rival Oscar Piastri looked on course to take the victory before Alonso hit the wall with just four laps remaining.

The safety car was deployed, and with the field neutralised, Norris was able to come in for dry tyres and emerge from the pits in the lead with Piastri relegated to second. Norris’ sprint win – his first of any note since the opening round in Melbourne – takes him from 10 points to nine behind Piastri in the standings ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s main event.

Norris took advantage of a safety car period to claim the maiden triumph of his career at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium last year, and the British driver said: “My luck in Miami seems pretty good." He added: "It has worked for me two years in a row now. I would have preferred if that happened tomorrow rather than today but I will take it.”

crossed the line in a morale-boosting third following his poor start to life at Ferrari with one place back. However, Verstappen was demoted to 17th and last after he was hit with a 10-second penalty following a collision with pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli in the pits.

Verstappen’s punishment elevated Alex Albon to fourth, one place ahead of George Russell. Antonelli finished 10th. Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history when he sprung the surprise of the season so far by heading qualifying here in the dry.

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But following a delay of 30 minutes due to a deluge of rain, it was hero to zero stuff for the Italian teenager in the damp conditions. He attempted to go toe-to-toe with Piastri through the right-left chicane at the start, but he ended up off the track.

Antonelli claimed Piastri pushed him off the circuit, but although the stewards noted the incident, they tellingly took no action. It left the rookie in fourth with Piastri, Norris and Verstappen all promoted a place. After he assumed the lead, Piastri took charge, but with a dozen laps gone he soon had Norris breathing down his neck.

Then, Hamilton, running in a distant sixth, rolled the strategy dice and was the first of the leading pack to switch to dry rubber with the track drying out. Verstappen and Antonelli were in on lap 13, but they collided in the pit-lane with inexplicably releasing the champion into the ’ path.

Up front, Piastri ran off the road, but kept ahead of Norris, before immediately changing to the slick tyres. Hamilton had benefited from his early change to dries and was soon charging past a wounded Verstappen for third.

the same lap, Alonso ended up in the wall, and when the safety car was released, Norris was able to assume the lead and take the win. Hamilton was out of sorts on the intermediate tyres but his early stop transformed his fortunes.

“I am so happy with that,” said Hamilton. “It has been a tough year. I never thought it would rain in Miami but what a race it provided. I was struggling on the inters and going nowhere but I made that call (to change to dries). I took the gamble and it paid off.”

Hamilton’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc did not start the race after he crashed out on the way to the grid.