RACING: McLaren take F1 to the fans with Miami street show as 1,000th race looms

McLaren showed off their Formula One heritage with a deafening display of title-winning cars driven by champions past and present on the streets of Miami on Wednesday (April 29).

Reigning champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri joined double champions Mika Hakkinen and Emerson Fittipaldi in thrilling the fans ahead of what would have been a 1,000th grand prix celebration but for conflict in the Middle East.

The cancellation of April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as a result of the Iran war means the milestone, achieved previously only by Ferrari, will now be marked officially in Monaco in June -- the race where the team founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren debuted in 1966.

"We were meant, obviously, to celebrate it here," Norris told Reuters before taking his 2025 car for a spin -- literally -- at Regatta Harbour in the Florida city's historic Coconut Grove area.

"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," added the Briton. "It's a big milestone and I'm very proud of it."

Brazilian Fittipaldi, McLaren's first champion in 1974 and now 79-years-old, drove a V8-engined McLaren M23 similar to the one that took the late James Hunt to the 1976 crown.

"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," Fittipaldi, who won his first title with Lotus in 1972, told Reuters.

Norris and Piastri, driving Lewis Hamilton's 2008 title-winner, then took to the track together to salute the cheering throng before interviews on a stage.

-Maria Alejandra Cardona, Alan Baldwin, Revathi Hariharan/Reuters