While Max Verstappen was the winner once again, he was chased to the flag in a thrilling climax by Lando Norris providing definitive evidence that the world champion will not have it all his own way this season.
Formula One has been a tough sell these past two years, Verstappen romping to the championship all but unchallenged last season and the opening meetings of 2024 were more of the same - a Groundhog Day narrative that was becoming somewhat stale until McLaren and Norris arrived at the last round in Miami to breathe invigorating life into what was becoming a torpid season.
Norris won in Florida and here at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari he hounded Verstappen for the final eight laps of the race, hurling his McLaren at the track and his rival, with thrilling verve and tenacity in as exciting a fight F1 has seen since the new regulations were imposed in 2022. When the flag fell, Verstappen had a lead of just 0.7sec on Norris, a mere bagatelle between them as they hurtled across the line.
That Norris could not make the pass was irrelevant. Most of the race had been following the Punxsutawney Phil script, Verstappen comfortable from pole, with a six second lead, but when his tyres began to go off - and Norris's rubber came good, having eased them into the stint early on racing broke out with almost explosive exhilaration.
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