Verstappen ‘not racing very smart’ – Norris

After his tense battles with both McLaren drivers in the Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen, according to Lando Norris, was “not racing very smart.”

After attempting to pass Verstappen on the first lap, Norris lost four positions, and the Dutchman and race-winning Oscar Piastri later engaged in multiple-lap battles.

Briton Norris expressed his disappointment with Verstappen’s decision to compete with the McLarens, which resulted in George Russell taking third place overall.

Verstappen was pushed aside by the Mercedes driver by a virtual safety car, but Norris’ claim is that Russell would have been much closer to him and Piastri had he not fought so hard for him and Piastri.

Norris continued, “He probably could have finished third today, but he didn’t because of that.” Yes, he is fighting, which is always expected, but that’s what it is.

Verstappen once said, “To lose a podium is not a frustrating feeling.” It doesn’t really matter if you’re a P3 or P4 because we are here to win and we were miles away today.

I simply wanted to have a little fun out there because I had nothing to lose.

Due to his first-lap encounter with Verstappen, Norris and Verstappen lacked a chance to win a race.

When Verstappen ran a little deep in the first corner and he challenged the Red Bull, Norris turned around and attempted to pass around the corner.

Verstappen appeared to have flung his car at Norris, and the McLaren veered off the track into the run-off area and fell to sixth overall.

Let’s say that considering the situation in corner one-two, it would have been better for Lando to just lift and keep in second place because, again, with the benefit of hindsight, we see that he was very fast and he would certainly have passed Max, like Oscar, and then Lando was in condition to do.

“So I believe that you must approach each situation in racing with the intention of looking at the opportunities that are available. And Lando could, in this instance, have been a little bit more patient.

Norris was further delayed in Verstappen racing after passing him at Turn 11 by going off the track and winning the race the following lap.

Stella claimed that Stella’s two drivers’ Verstappen racing strategies did not differ.

“Both drivers were approaching the overtaking in a manner where, had Lando not fallen off in corner 11, he would have completed the overtaking in a similar period of time. Therefore, I don’t believe we should overread situations. Like I said before, I believe it can sometimes be measured in a matter of a second or a metre.

The decision to retake the position was “the big time loss.” I don’t see any differences between the overtaking manoeuvre and the precision and determination that can be seen in either driver.

Piastri won his third straight race and fourth overall, moving him one point clear of Verstappen, who is 16 points adrift.

It was difficult at first trying to get past Max, the Australian said. With everything still on my car, I made a pretty darned effort to get past.

“I picked my moments when I needed to,” he continued. We had a lot of pace right away, and it was going to be when I got past, not if.

“But I wanted to do it as effectively as I could because I knew Lando would be catching us a lot once he came back behind me.” I needed to finish the book quickly and effectively. I thought I had filled that role fairly well before creating a gap. Although I don’t think I’m the strongest second half of my life, I believe I needed to bridge that gap and be quick when necessary.