McLaren driver Lando Norris has hit out at reigning world champion Max Verstappen following their intense on-track confrontations at the Miami Grand Prix, stating that the Red Bull driver`s actions ultimately “ruined his own race”.
At the start, Norris, who started second, challenged pole-sitter Verstappen for the lead into the first chicane. Norris felt he was “forced off” the track at Turn 2 by Verstappen, an evasive maneuver that caused him to drop several positions down to sixth.
Despite this setback, Norris quickly recovered, overtaking Alex Albon and then Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. He then set his sights on catching Verstappen, who was embroiled in a fierce battle for the lead with Norris`s teammate, Oscar Piastri.
Piastri eventually capitalized on a mistake by Verstappen to take the lead. Following this, Verstappen defended robustly against Norris over several laps before eventually allowing the McLaren through relatively easily. This battle not only allowed Piastri to build a significant lead (eventually nine seconds over Norris) but also cost Verstappen valuable time, contributing to him emerging from his pit stop behind George Russell.
“It was fine. He`s fighting hard, but it`s up to him to do that,” commented Norris, who now trails Piastri in the championship standings. “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 also negatively impacted by the timing of a Virtual Safety Car, countered that he was simply defending hard “like everyone else”.
“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,” Verstappen stated. “The rest was just a bit unlucky, with the VSC, but at the end of the day it doesn`t matter when you`re P3 or P4, you`re here to target the win and we were very far from that.”
Jenson Button: Norris Knows Pace Is There
Former F1 champion Jenson Button analyzed the start incident: “Lando had the mishap at Turn 2 [at the start]. But after that his pace was unbelievable. The thing that surprised me most was he didn`t seem that downbeat. He wasn`t as downbeat as I expected him to be. He knows Turn 2 cost him the race but knows his pace is there and his time will come.”
Norris: Verstappen Can Do Whatever He Wants
The Miami clash adds to a history of contentious moments between Norris and Verstappen in recent seasons. While no penalties were issued in Miami, Norris remained unhappy about the first-lap incident, which was noted but not investigated by the stewards.
“Without that I`m in the wall, hard,” Norris told Sky Sports F1, referring to Verstappen`s snap of oversteer that left him with nowhere to go but off-track. Norris also commented that Verstappen can “do whatever he wants,” though he half-joked that he only said it “for the interview”.
When asked if he would handle a similar first-lap scenario differently in the future, 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 incident highlights F1`s updated Driving Standard Guidelines for this season, which permit the inside driver to force a rival wide provided they stay within track limits themselves. Piastri had previously utilized these rules in Saudi Arabia against Verstappen and in the Miami Sprint.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella conceded that, in hindsight, given the team`s strong pace advantage, Norris might have been better off lifting and accepting a later opportunity to overtake Verstappen. “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,” Stella commented.
Martin Brundle: First Lap Probably Cost Norris Win
Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle echoed the sentiment regarding the start: “I don’t think Lando could have done anything else than hit the throttle… Max then had another slide into Turn 2 that walks him across the track, Lando recognises he’s going in the wall… I think if he was in the same situation again, he’d have to do the same thing again. It just didn’t work out for him. It probably cost him this Grand Prix.”
Norris: I Felt More Comfortable in the Car Again
While Piastri took the victory, Norris closed the gap to his teammate significantly by the checkered flag and outqualified him for the first time since Japan. Norris has previously admitted he hasn`t felt as confident in this year`s car compared to the end of last season.
“It`s still been a very good weekend for me. I`m happy with my progress,” Norris said. “I felt more comfortable in the car again. There`s still things I need to make progress on. 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.”
“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.”
Marcus Prine