Norris says Verstappen 'ruined his own race' with 'not very smart' defense

When Lando Norris et Max Verstappen When they come face to face on the track, there is rarely a dull moment. We saw proof of this again on Sunday at the start of the Miami Grand Prix. The two rivals started on the front row, with the advantage of pole position for the driver Red BullComing out of the first corner, after the Dutchman's wheel locked, the Briton found himself level with the poleman... but as usual, the four-time world champion didn't give up. The Dutchman widened his trajectory at the second corner, forcing the Englishman off the track. An exit that cost Lando Norris four positions, who was 6th after the first lap.

LET'S GO FOR THE #MiamiGP ????

Max Verstappen takes the lead and Norris loses 4 places ⚡️#F1 pic.twitter.com/bZ3QTY6TUh

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) May 4, 2025

The two men then found themselves in a duel a few laps later, between the 14th and 18th laps. Just defeated by Oscar piastri, Max Verstappen found himself under threat from Lando Norris, much faster with his McLarenThe Dutchman tried to resist by all means, blocking the inside at the first corner. The Briton thought he had found the opening by overtaking him on the outside of turn 11, but the McLaren driver had gone off the track in his attempt and had to give up his position a few hundred meters further on. Finally, it was thanks to DRS that the Englishman got the better of his opposite number, on lap 18, on the long back straight.

“With Max, it’s: 'you don't pass or you crash' »

At the finish, Lando Norris landed back on his feet, finishing in second place, his starting position, while Max Verstappen failed to reach the podium, trapped by the Virtual Safety Car midway through the race. Nevertheless, their duel certainly deprived them of a better result at the finish of the Florida round. “It’s never the best feeling [to finish second] but the team did an amazing job, so I can’t fault them. They had good pit stops, I had good pace. We were at the front, it was a good feeling. Oscar drove well, Max fought hard as always, and I paid the price, but that’s how it is.”, the Briton confided at a press conference.

Of course, during that same press conference, Lando Norris reflected on his battles with Max Verstappen during the Miami Grand Prix, particularly the situation at the start. For the Briton, no matter what he might have tried at that moment, he believes there was no good solution to the Dutchman's maneuver. "If I don't go, people complain, and if I go, people complain too, so I lose every time. But that's how it is with Max, it's: 'You don't pass or you crash.', said the McLaren driverIf you can get him in a perfect position, then you can [overtake him] but I paid the price for not doing a good enough job today. I'm still happy with this 2nd place."

According to Lando Norris, Max Verstappen's defense – on him and on Oscar Piastri – conditioned his race but also his own, with a lot of time lost in the battle and increased tire wear. "He's fighting hard, that's his right, but he's ruining his own race. It's not very smart. We probably could have finished first and second today, but he didn't because of that." stressed the Englishman, still a little annoyed by the situation. Moreover, during the race, he didn't hold back from giving Max Verstappen a little middle finger. Tensions are rising between the two men and meanwhile, Oscar Piastri – winner in Miami – is soaring in the championship.

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