Lando Norris has launched a scathing attack on Max Verstappen following their fierce battle at the Miami Grand Prix, claiming the reigning world champion "ruined his own race" with his aggressive driving style.
The McLaren driver didn't hold back in his assessment of Verstappen's tactics affter Sunday's race.
"He's fighting hard, but it's up to him to do that," said Norris, who now sits 16 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri in the Drivers' Championship.
"He ruined his own race. He's not racing very smart. He probably could have finished third today, and he didn't because of that."
Lando Norris has launched a scathing attack on Max Verstappen following their fierce battle at the Miami Grand Prix, claiming the reigning world champion "ruined his own race" with his aggressive driving style
GETTY
The criticism comes after multiple on-track incidents between the pair throughout the race.
The tension began at the very start of the race when Norris lost out to pole-sitter Verstappen at the opening chicane.
The British driver felt he was "forced off" by the Red Bull at Turn 2.
This evasive action caused Norris to drop down to sixth place, significantly compromising his race position.
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Lando Norris finished second to McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at the Miami Grand Prix
REUTERS
"Without that I'm in the wall, hard," Norris added when asked about Verstappen's snap of oversteer which left the McLaren driver with no room.
The incident was noted by race officials but not investigated further, despite Norris' apparent unhappiness about the manoeuvre.
Despite falling back, Norris quickly fought his way through the field, overtaking Alex Albon and the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
He then caught up to Verstappen, who had been battling with Oscar Piastri for the race lead.
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After Piastri took first place when Verstappen made a mistake, the Dutchman engaged in an intense multi-lap battle with Norris.
Verstappen defended aggressively for several laps before eventually letting the McLaren through with relative ease.
This prolonged battle proved costly for both drivers, allowing Piastri to open up a nine-second lead over Norris.
It also caused Verstappen to lose crucial time that contributed to him emerging behind Russell after the pit stops.
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Verstappen defended his driving style when questioned about the incidents, saying he was simply defending hard "like everyone else".
"I tried to do my best. We put ourselves in a good starting position. I tried to give it a good battle, have a bit of fun out there at the same time," he explained.
The Miami clash adds to a growing list of on-track incidents between the two drivers.
Norris and Verstappen clashed multiple times during the 2024 season, with notable incidents in Austria, USA and Mexico City.
Max Verstappen missed out on a podium place during Sunday's Miami Grand Prix
REUTERS
All three of those previous encounters resulted in penalties being handed out, though neither driver was penalised for Sunday's Miami battle.
Norris also made it clear he wouldn't change his approach in future battles with Verstappen.
"Nothing. If there's a gap, I'm going to go for it. I'm not going to back out. I'm here to race," he stated firmly.
