McLaren rev up Miami with heritage showrun as their 1,000th Formula 1 race milestone delayed

Reigning world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri were joined by double champions Mika Hakkinen and Emerson Fittipaldi in a fan-focused showrun through Miami’s Coconut Grove district.

The event was originally intended to mark McLaren’s 1,000th Formula 1 race, a milestone now postponed to June’s Monaco Grand Prix after the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to conflict in the Middle East.

“We were meant, obviously, to celebrate it here,” Norris told reporters in Miami. “It’s nice that I’ve played a small part in that but today is also a day where you get to see all the cars, the history, the drivers that have driven for McLaren. It’s a big milestone and I’m very proud of it.”

Brazilian living legend Fittipaldi, now 79, returned to the cockpit of a McLaren M23, echoing the team’s early success in the 1970s: “I was the first one, I made a small part of McLaren history but then McLaren has a huge history and I’m very proud to be here." 

Hakkinen drove the V10-powered MP4-14, while Bruno Senna ran demonstration laps in his uncle Ayrton Senna’s MP4/6. Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan also took part in an Arrow McLaren IndyCar.

“To just be alongside them, even just to be able to talk to them is really cool,” said Piastri.

Norris and Piastri later shared driving duties in Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 title-winning McLaren, performing burnouts for the crowd: “It was nice to see so many people and it was just good to have a bit of fun.

"Normally we have to be all serious and drive properly … we don’t get to just go out and do burnouts and stuff: “I won the championship last year and wasn’t allowed to do any burnouts. So it was nice to just let loose and have a nice day out.”

McLaren head into the Miami weekend as recent winners at the circuit, with Piastri victorious last year and Norris in 2024, but face a tougher challenge this time with Mercedes dominant under the new engine regulations.

“I think last year, and even 2024, we had a really big advantage around a place like this and this year we don’t have that so we’ll have to wait and see,” Piastri said.

“I think it’s going to be a weekend full of changes and trying to get on top of things better than everybody else. And if we can do that then there’s still going to be opportunities to finish higher than maybe where you should," aded the Australian.

With Mercedes dominant and setting the benchmark this year, Ferrari are an unkown quantity but closer to the Silver Arrows than most. Nevertheless, McLaren, with the pace setting Merc power unit package bolted to their cars, are expected to take the fight to their engine suppiers.