Verstappen 'not Racing Very Smart' - Norris

Lando Norris said Max Verstappen was "not racing very smart" aft his aggravated battles pinch some McLaren drivers successful nan Miami Grand Prix.

Norris mislaid 4 positions connected nan first thigh aft ending up disconnected nan roadworthy trying to walk Verstappen, and some he and race-winner Oscar Piastri later had multi-lap battles pinch nan Dutchman.

Briton Norris said he believed nan hold Verstappen caused to his ain title by battling pinch nan McLarens costs nan four-time champion 3rd spot to George Russell.

The Mercedes driver passed Verstappen by pitting nether a virtual information car, but Norris' statement is that nan Red Bull would person been further up of Russell had he not fought truthful difficult against him and Piastri.

Norris said: "He's fighting hard, but it's up to him to do that. He's ruining his ain race. He's not racing very smart."

Norris added: "He astir apt could person vanished 3rd today, and he didn't because of that. So yeah, he's fighting, that is ever expected, but that's what it is."

Verstappen said: "Honestly it's not frustrating astatine each (to suffer a podium). We are present to triumph and coming we were miles disconnected that, truthful it doesn't really matter if you are a P3 aliases P4.

"I had thing to lose, truthful I besides conscionable wanted to person a spot of nosy retired there."

Norris mislaid retired connected a apt title triumph arsenic a consequence of his first-lap incident pinch Verstappen.

He challenged nan Red Bull connected nan extracurricular of nan first corner, and erstwhile Verstappen ran somewhat deep, Norris trim backmost and tried to walk astir nan extracurricular of nan 2nd corner.

Verstappen took nan racing line, appearing to flick his car towards Norris, and nan McLaren went disconnected nan way into nan run-off area and slipped to sixth.

Had he backed off, Norris could person been nan starring McLaren driver to onslaught Verstappen and fixed nan car's ascendant gait whitethorn good person won nan race.

McLaren squad main Andrea Stella said: "With nan use of hindsight, let's opportunity that considering nan business successful area one-two, it could person been amended for Lando to conscionable assistance and make judge that he could support nan 2nd position because nan car, again, pinch nan use of hindsight, we spot that he was very accelerated and he would surely person passed Max, for illustration Oscar, and past later Lando was successful information to do.

"So I deliberation for illustration each business successful racing, you person to attack pinch nan mindset of reviewing wherever nan opportunities lie. And I deliberation successful this case, Lando could person been a small spot much patient."

Norris was further delayed successful racing Verstappen because he passed him astatine Turn 11 by going disconnected way and had to springiness nan spot back, earlier regaining it for bully nan pursuing lap.

Stella said he saw nary quality successful his 2 drivers' approaches to racing Verstappen.

"Both drivers were approaching nan overtaking successful a measurement that had Lando not gone disconnected by a fewer centimetres successful area 11, he would person completed nan overtaking successful what was a akin time. So I don't deliberation we should over-read excessively overmuch into situations. I deliberation it's, for illustration I said before, it's a matter sometimes of a fraction of a 2nd aliases a fraction of a metre.

"The large clip nonaccomplishment came because of having to springiness backmost nan position. So I deliberation successful position of overtaking manoeuvre and precision and determination, I don't spot that there's immoderate quality betwixt some drivers."

Once he passed Verstappen, Norris closed connected Piastri successful nan 2nd stint, but ran retired of clip to adjacent nan gap.

Piastri's triumph was his 3rd successful a statement and 4th successful six races and he leads Norris by 16 points successful nan championship, pinch Verstappen a further 16 adrift.

The Australian said: "It was reliable astatine nan opening trying to get past Max. I tried beautiful difficult to get past, pinch everything still connected my car.

"It was not easy but I picked my moments erstwhile I needed to. I could show that we had a batch of gait from nan get-go today, and it was going to beryllium a matter of erstwhile I sewage past, not if.

"But I wanted to do it arsenic efficiently arsenic I could because I knew erstwhile Lando sewage backmost down me, he was going to beryllium catching america a lot. I wanted to get done quickly but cleanly. I felt for illustration I did a beautiful bully occupation of that, past built a gap. Maybe not nan strongest 2nd half of nan title of my life, but I deliberation building that spread and being speedy astatine nan correct times was what I needed.

"It was a matter of conscionable biding my time, waiting for a moment, aliases forcing him into a moment. That's what I was capable to do. Once I sewage past, I knew I had to effort and build a spread while Lando was down him. That sewage maine nan win."