Formula 1 has built much of its recent success in the United States on the Netflix reality documentary series Drive to Survive but with Max Verstappen utterly dominating there was an acute need for a plot twist.
That arrived in Miami, when McLaren's Lando Norris, 24, pulled off a surprise win over the Dutchman.
Verstappen has won four of the six races so far this season and it would be unwise for anyone to see Norris's win as the sign of an imminent change in fortunes for the three-time world champion, but to maintain interest, F1 needed a new face on the top of the podium.
It was certainly a feel-good story. Norris came into Miami having had a record 15 podium finishes without a win, with eight second-place finishes.
Near-misses, such as at Sochi in 2021 when the Briton led late but paid the price for failing to switch tires in time during heavy rain, led to some taunting of Norris including the online nickname 'Lando NoWins'
"I am happy to put that to bed and prove a lot of these people wrong," Norris said.
"I love it to go on Instagram and like all the comments from people abusing me. I freaking love it, makes me smile more than anything, especially 'Lando NoWins', that's become the thing," he added.
Norris insisted that he had always had faith in his ability to win a Grand Prix. "To get that first victory is always incredible. I've of course had my moments where I've been close," he said. "But I wasn't worried."
Lando Norris is happy to prove critics wrong. AFP
