Lando Norris slams Max Verstappen after a tense Miami duel, accusing him of dangerous moves and poor racecraft at the start.
Lando Norris didn’t hold back after finishing second at the Miami Grand Prix, venting his frustration over a tense first-lap clash with Max Verstappen, a move he felt could’ve ended his race.
“I had to back off or I’d have ended up in the wall,” Norris said. “And that’s exactly what he seemed to want. If I want to avoid that, I just need to qualify ahead, it’s as simple as that.”
The incident is just the latest chapter in a growing on-track rivalry between the two drivers. Norris, clearly irritated, believes Verstappen’s approach is costing both of them.
“Look, Oscar [Piastri] passed him, I passed him, we both got by. But Max made it unnecessarily difficult again. In the end, he didn’t even defend hard. He just gave it up. But before that, it was a mess. He’s not racing smart, and honestly, he probably lost a podium because of it.”
Norris didn’t mince words: “Sometimes I wonder what’s going through his head. Is it just with me? Or is it just however he feels that day? It’s Max, he’s fast, he does what he wants.”
Asked if he’d approach the start differently, knowing how Verstappen races, Norris stood firm.
“No. If there’s a gap, I’m going for it. That’s racing. I’m not here to back down. But yeah… I’ll leave it at that.”
“He’s a hard racer, but sometimes he hurts his own race. Like I said, it’s not smart. We could’ve finished one-two today. But he threw that away. He fights, that’s fine, but he doesn’t always pick the right fights.”
“I’m Getting Back in the Groove”
Despite the drama, Norris left Miami feeling optimistic. While he lost more ground to teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings, the McLaren driver is focusing on the positives.
“It was still a great weekend for me,” Norris said. “I’m happy with the progress. I felt more comfortable in the car again. There’s still stuff I need to work on, but I’m getting there.”
“I’m not at my peak yet, and I need to be if I want to qualify up front and challenge the top guys.”
“So yeah, there’s more to come. But the weekend overall was strong. The pace was good. Just small things that held me back a bit, that happens.”
“I’m satisfied, even if P2 isn’t the goal. I’m here to win. But there’s always a next time.”
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Norris Frustrated by Verstappen’s Aggressive Racing Norris Frustrated by Verstappen’s Aggressive Racing