Norris: Verstappen can do whatever he wants

Monday, 05 May 2025 at 18:45

Lewis Hamilton was not the only Formula 1 driver to resort to sarcasm while commenting on the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, as Lando Norris did the same, commenting on his first-lap incident with Max Verstappen.

Norris tried to pass Verstappen on the opening lap of Sunday's race in Miami but could not, and as a result, he backed off too late, which meant he dropped down to sixth and had to race his way up the order once again.

It was not the first time Norris lost out to Verstappen during an on-track battle, and much has been said about the McLaren driver's race craft, especially in the context of comparing him to the reigning F1 champion as well as to his own teammate Oscar Piastri.

And while Norris insists he doesn't care about what is said about him, his statements after the Miami GP while speaking to the 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button showed that he did care and that he is even frustrated.

"What can I say? If I don't go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain," was Norris' response when asked about his decision to go after Verstappen on Lap 1, a decision McLaren boss Andrea Stella later labeled as unwise.

Speaking later to Sky Sports F1, Norris was clearly irritated by the relentless questioning of his battle with Verstappen and appeared to go down the sarcastic path.

Passing Verstappen depends on how hard he wants to fight

Stella: It would have been wiser for Norris to lift [on lap 1]

Norris was asked about the snap Verstappen suffered, which pushed him off the track while attempting a move on the outside; he responded: "Without that, I'm in the wall, hard.

"Qualify ahead. It's the obvious thing, isn't it?" he then added when asked about the solution to deal with Verstappen.

The Briton was then quizzed on whether Verstappen can be passed; he snapped: "Oscar got past him, I got past him.

"We both got past him, but you have to be in the perfect place. In the end he just let me go; he didn't even put up a fight in the end.

"It just depends how much he wants to fight you. It's Max. He's doing a good job. He can do whatever he wants," he claimed.

And when pressed on whether he actually meant what he said about Verstappen being able to do whatever he wants, Norris sarcastically responded: "No I'm just saying it for the interview."

He then went on insisting that he would always attack whenever he gets a chance to do so; he said: "If there's a gap, I'm going to go for it. I'm not going to back out. I'm here to race. I will stop talking."

Norris' Miami GP weekend was positive nevertheless

Miami GP Sprint: Norris wins chaotic wet race

But as much as Norris was exasperated by the Verstappen topic, he seemed to be more positive about his form in the McLaren MCL39 after admitting after the race in Saudi Arabia that he is struggling to drive it on the limit.

"It's still been a very good weekend for me," he said. "I'm happy with my progress. I felt more comfortable in the car again. There's still things I need to make progress on.

"I'm still not in the happiest and most perfect place, and I've got to be there if I want to qualify at the front and perform against these other guys, perform against the best.

"So just keep chipping away. It's been a positive weekend. Pace is very strong. Just these little things got in the way. But that happens.

"I'm still happy. Not the position I want, of course. I'm here to fight for the win and go for the win, but there's always next time," Norris concluded.

Norris left Miami still second in the 2025 F1 drivers' championship, 16 points behind Piastri and also 16 points ahead of third-placed Verstappen.