Will Joseph, the race engineer for McLaren’s Lando Norris, admits that the memory of missing out on victory at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix still lingers with him, despite Norris clinching his first Formula 1 win recently. However, Joseph believes they can finally move past that disappointment.
Joseph has been working closely with Norris since the young driver’s debut in F1 back in 2019. Reflecting on Norris’s breakthrough victory, Joseph couldn’t help but recall the near-miss at the Russian Grand Prix the previous year.
During the race in Sochi, Norris had been in a commanding position, comfortably leading the pack. This came just two weeks after his teammate Daniel Ricciardo secured McLaren’s first F1 win in nearly a decade at the Italian Grand Prix.
However, a sudden rain shower late in the race altered the dynamics entirely. Despite Norris’s attempt to stay out on track while others pitted, it proved to be the wrong decision as his McLaren lost grip and slid off, allowing Lewis Hamilton to snatch the victory.
Joseph shared his sentiments with Sky Sports F1 following Norris’s triumph in Florida, stating, “It feels like a long time coming, especially after Russia. It haunts me every day, it does – it still haunts me in my sleep. I feel like we can put that behind us now.”
Heading into the Miami Grand Prix, there was uncertainty, but Norris capitalized on a strategic long run, and a timely safety car intervention provided the opportunity for redemption, allowing him to overcome past disappointments.
Joseph reflected on the thrilling race, saying, “What a fantastic race. We discussed after qualifying the decisions we made, and we weren’t so sure. But I think I‘ll go back to him and say: ‘maybe they were the right ones.’
“We always said this morning that maybe our game is just to go long and hope that something happens. When the pace is there, you just do – there’s no reason to stop early. At one point, we thought we were going to be ahead for a whole lap, so it was good. It was very, very good – strong race.”
Following the safety car period, Norris surged ahead of Max Verstappen, extending his lead to 7.6 seconds by the race’s end, while Verstappen grappled with floor damage incurred from an off-track excursion at the Turn 14/15 chicane on lap 21.
Concerning Verstappen’s threat, Joseph commented, “You have to be worried about Max, he’s basically strong the whole time.”
However, Joseph elaborated on their strategy post-safety car restart, stating, “But we were giving him the gaps for the first few laps [after the safety car restart] and once we seemed comfortable, we had a six-lap tyre advantage. And after a few laps we said: ‘just leave him alone. Leave him to it.’”
When questioned about whether their approach to managing Norris differed in the race’s closing stages, Joseph responded, “There’s no reason to stop doing what you normally do.
“People in the background are looking at how we’re driving, how we can do it better. We still give that advice, but at the same time, we know sometimes just shut up and let him do it.”
