Lando Norris has expressed criticism towards Max Verstappen following their heated duel during the Grand Prix in Miami. The British driver accused the Dutchman of sabotaging his own race by ‘not racing very smartly’. Norris and Verstappen clashed in the opening laps, with the McLaren driver at one point going too wide and consequently losing several places.
After the incident, Norris drove a strong recovery race on the Miami street circuit and eventually finished second, behind his McLaren teammate. However, frustration dominated the Brit’s post-race feelings, especially regarding his battle with polesitter Verstappen in the early stages of the race. “He drove me off the track,” Norris complained over the radio. However, the stewards decided that the action was within the rules, and Verstappen received no penalty.
Later in the race, the two clashed again, this time during Norris’ climb back to the front. The McLaren driver managed to overtake the Red Bull, but was not pleased with his competitor’s driving behavior. During the FIA press conference after the race, Norris strongly criticized Verstappen, who he claimed had pushed him off the track on several occasions.
‘It’s Either Crash or Don’t Overtake’
“He (Verstappen) ruins his own race,” Norris told the media in Miami. “He’s not racing very smartly. We could have probably finished first and second today, but that didn’t happen. He fights hard – that’s always expected – but that’s just the way it is.” Even immediately after the Grand Prix, in parc fermé, Norris left little to the imagination. “What can I say?” the Brit sighed. “If I go for it, people complain. If I don’t, people also complain. With Max, it’s just crash or don’t overtake. Unless you do it perfectly, you can’t get past.”
Despite the criticism, Norris was satisfied with his result: “I paid the price for not doing well enough today, but I’m happy with P2.” While Verstappen and Norris were battling for the lead in Miami, Oscar Piastri took it. He passed the Dutchman neatly after an intense battle on the track. In the championship, the Australian now has a lead of sixteen points over Norris. Moreover, the victory in Miami was his third in a row.
