MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: Why Norris’s maiden win wasn’t just thanks to a lucky break with the Safety Car


Lando Norris owed some of his maiden Grand Prix victory to a lucky break with the Safety Car. But it was only his sustained extraordinary pace which had put him in position to still be out there, not yet having stopped, when the Safety Car came out for a collision between Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and the Williams of Logan Sargeant.
He’d lost out at the start as a result of the chaos caused by Sergio Perez’s out-braking move into Turn 1 on Charles Leclerc, which almost saw the Mexican go into the back of team mate Max Verstappen. Stuck in sixth place behind Perez while Verstappen built up his lead, Norris’ prospects in the updated McLaren didn’t look great.
Next Up
Related Articles
Zhou Guanyu joins Cadillac as reserve driver for 2026
All the key pre-season dates for F1 2026
Unlocked‘We have a lot of hopes’ – Vasseur on Ferrari's 2026
Exclusive‘I'm used to being thrown in the deep end’ – Lindblad
How F1 drivers recharge during the winter break
Hamilton’s best helmets through the years
