Norris' Miami win makes Imola the most anticipated race of Verstappen era

The conclusion of the Miami Grand Prix has left Formula 1 fans and pundits excited and captivated for a number of reasons.

The more obvious reason is Lando Norris’ first win in the sport, cruising to victory after a safety car period to finish over seven seconds ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen.

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With Norris, it was never a case of if he would win a race. It was always a case of when he would.

Admittedly, it has taken longer than expected, with Miami being his 110th grand prix start, and there was an element of luck with being able to make a cheap stop under the safety car, but it is likely to be the first victory of many for the young Brit.

Another reason why everyone is excited following the first of three races in the US this season, is that the seemingly unbeatable force of Verstappen and Red Bull, is in fact beatable.

And that is why the next race in Imola is perhaps one of, if not the most anticipated race in this era of Verstappen dominance.

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Are Red Bull and Verstappen finally beatable?

There will already be an element of anticipation for the Emilia-Romagna GP, as the event last year was cancelled due to severe flooding in the area, and fans will be eager to see racing action around the iconic track after a year off the calendar.

If Miami proved anything, action is what they will get, as Red Bull’s rivals seem to be finally able to challenge them for race wins.

McLaren brought 10 upgrades with them to Florida, and the difference in performance and their ability to keep up with a car that has looked unstoppable over the last couple of years was incredible.

In an era where we are so used to the Red Bull number one car speeding off into the distance upon lights out – and the Dutchman did lead the opening 24 laps until his pit stop - Miami was a sigh of relief as Oscar Piastri did not fall further behind than four seconds during that initial period.

Now that may be a sizeable gap to the point where you are protected from attack by DRS, but it was a significantly smaller lead than what we are used to seeing.

Furthermore, when racing got back under way and Verstappen almost got past Norris at the first corner, the Brit held him back and managed to pull away to a 7.6 second-lead come the fall of the chequered flag.

Even the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc finished 2.3 seconds behind Verstappen in third; evidence that McLaren and Ferrari at least have closed the gap to Red Bull, and can challenge the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

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The return of the Emilia-Romagna GP

In 2023, Red Bull won all but one race across the 22-race calendar, with Verstappen winning 19 of them. It took Carlos Sainz at Singapore to stop the world champions from going invincible for a whole season.

We are six races into the 2024 campaign, and Verstappen and Red Bull have already been beaten twice; by Sainz in Australia and by Norris in Miami, a welcome sight to fans and pundits alike.

As the F1 world heads to Imola, there is now no longer the expectation that the Dutchman will disappear out front or even take pole position as easily as he seems to be making it look right now.

The thrill ride that is the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari provides an array of elevation changes and high-speed corners, which will still benefit the RB20, but also certainly its biggest challenger McLaren, Miami being proof of that.

The long, fast straights will also give an opportunity for McLaren to keep pace with, or pull away from, the Red Bulls as Norris and Piastri displayed in Florida.

2024 is already a sharp contrast to 2023 as we appear to have a season where Red Bull’s dominant force is not as comprehensive. Here’s hoping Imola will be another race this year that provides dramatic entertainment.

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