Max Verstappen missed out on a podium finish at the Miami GP. The polesitter clashed with Lando Norris in the opening lap of the race, but was later overtaken by the eventual winner, Oscar Piastri. Later in the race, the Dutchman again lamented his lack of speed compared to McLaren, and George Russell also overtook him — following an unfortunately timed virtual safety car.
“I had nothing to lose,” Max Verstappen sighed after the race to F1TV. “In the end, I was just trying to have a bit of fun,” he referred to the battles with McLaren. “I promised yesterday that I would do my utmost, but unfortunately, we just didn’t have the pace. The tires were getting too hot too quickly — we were really struggling on the track. And of course, we also had a bit of bad luck with the virtual safety car. But well, that’s part of racing.”
“McLaren clearly has a lot more speed,” Verstappen added. “That’s just their strength. On circuits with little tire degradation, this may be less visible, but today it became even more clear what kind of lead they have.” In an interview with Viaplay, he went a step further: “It’s just not good enough. We were completely hopeless. That virtual safety car doesn’t matter anymore, after all, I’m not here to become third or fourth.”
‘Just let it be, I’ll just drive it home’
His fervent attempt to overtake George Russell for a podium position was short-lived. “I didn’t really feel like it anymore,” Verstappen responded dryly. “Of course, I could go a bit faster, but then the tires would immediately get too hot. I thought to myself: ‘Just let it be, I’ll just drive it home.’
Verstappen still holds the third position in the standings, but he is thirty-two points behind Piastri. McLaren driver Lando Norris separates the duo — he has built a lead of sixteen points over his Dutch rival. Meanwhile, George Russell is dangerously close; the British Mercedes driver is only six points behind Verstappen.
