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.

Unlock exclusive F1 content and more with F1 Unlocked. Totally free.
Membership gets you closer with:
Curated insider content
Live like an F1 insider with exclusive access and VIP experiences
Member benefits, rewards and offers
Next Up
Related Articles
Who starts where for the Austrian Grand Prix
Antonelli hit with grid penalty for Verstappen clash
Ride onboard with Norris for his pole lap in Austria
See how Norris beat Leclerc with our ‘Ghost Car’
TremayneThe shock win that launched the career of a champion
Bortoleto reflects on ‘special’ first Q3 appearance