Following intense on-track duels at the Miami Grand Prix, Lando Norris stated that reigning world champion Max Verstappen “ruined his own race.”
At the start, Norris challenged pole-sitter Verstappen for the lead in the opening corners. Norris believes he was “forced off” the track by Verstappen at Turn 2, an incident that caused him to fall back to sixth position.
Norris then began to recover, quickly passing Alex Albon, George Russell, and Kimi Antonelli. He eventually caught up to Verstappen, who was engaged in a tough battle for the lead with Norris`s McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.
Piastri waited for an opportunity, taking the lead when Verstappen made an error. Verstappen then fiercely defended against Norris for several laps before ultimately yielding the position.
This intense battle allowed Piastri to build a significant lead over Norris. It also cost Verstappen time, contributing to him rejoining the track behind George Russell after his pit stop.
Commenting on the situation, Norris said:
“It was fine. He`s fighting hard, but it`s up to him to do that.”
However, he was critical of Verstappen`s tactics later in the race:
“He ruined his own race. He`s not racing very smart. He probably could have finished third today, and he didn`t because of that. He`s fighting hard, as always expected, but that`s way it is.”
Verstappen, whose position was impacted by the timing of a Virtual Safety Car which left him vulnerable to Russell, stated he was simply defending aggressively, “like everyone else.”
Verstappen reflected on his race, saying:
“I tried to do my best. We put ourselves in a good starting position. I tried to give it a good battle, have a bit of fun out there at the same time. We couldn`t keep them behind.”
He added that the VSC timing was “a bit unlucky,” but ultimately:
“It doesn`t matter when you`re P3 or P4, you`re here to target the win and we were very far from that.”
Norris on Verstappen: “He can do whatever he wants”
The Miami incident wasn`t the first time the two drivers have had fierce encounters; they clashed in Austria, the USA, and Mexico City last year, resulting in penalties in each instance.
Despite no penalties being issued in Miami, Norris expressed frustration regarding the first-lap clash, which was noted by stewards but not investigated.
Regarding Verstappen`s moment of oversteer that forced him wide on lap one, Norris commented:
“Without that I`m in the wall, hard.”
Norris also remarked that Verstappen “can do whatever he wants,” though he half-jokingly suggested he said it “for the interview.”
When asked if he would change his approach in a similar first-lap scenario, Norris was defiant:
“Nothing. If there`s a gap, I`m going to go for it. I`m not going to back out. I`m here to race.”
The early incidents in the race highlighted the sport`s updated Driving Standard Guidelines for this season. These new rules permit a driver on the inside to push their opponent wide, provided the inside driver remains within track limits, without needing to leave space on the outside.
Oscar Piastri had previously utilized these updated regulations, notably against Verstappen in Saudi Arabia and Kimi Antonelli during the Miami Sprint race.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella later commented that, in hindsight, given the car`s strong pace, it might have been wiser for Norris to avoid the first-lap clash. Stella stated:
“The first lap, with hindsight, it would have potentially wiser for Lando to lift and accept he would have gained the lead later on in the race because the car was fast enough but that`s with the benefit of hindsight.”
Norris Finds More Comfort and Pace in the Car
Despite Oscar Piastri taking the win, Norris highlighted the positive aspects of his weekend. He managed to significantly reduce a gap to Piastri after passing Verstappen and also outqualified his teammate. Norris expressed satisfaction with his progress and comfort level in the car.
Norris elaborated:
“It`s still been a very good weekend for me. I`m happy with my progress… I felt more comfortable in the car again. There`s still things I need to make progress on.”
He acknowledged room for improvement to be consistently at the front:
“I`m still not in the happiest and most perfect place and I`ve got to be there if I want to qualify at the front and perform against these other guys, perform against the best.”
He concluded:
“So just keep chipping away. It`s been a positive weekend. Pace is very strong. Just these little things got in the way. But that happens. I`m still happy. Not the position I want of course. I`m here to fight for the win and go for the win but there`s always next time.”
