McLaren driver Lando Norris once again clashed with Red Bull rival Max Verstappen at the Miami Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen came out on top in his battle with Lando Norris last season once McLaren took a step forward with their car development.
It happened to be at the Miami Grand Prix last year that Norris grabbed his first race victory, and he’s now a five-time winner since that moment.
McLaren extended their lead in the constructors’ championship on Sunday with a brilliant one-two finish.
They had a huge lead over George Russell and Verstappen by the end of the race, highlighting their dominance over the rest of the grid right now.
Red Bull are hoping McLaren will be pinned back by upcoming regulation changes, but it’s hard to know how much of a difference that’s going to make.
Martin Brundle compared Verstappen to Michael Schumacher in his defence against Piastri in their gripping battle.
However, Norris and Verstappen once again came to blows on the opening lap and then later in the race as their rivalry stepped up another level.
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Lando Norris makes ‘you can’t win’ comment about Max Verstappen after the Miami Grand Prix
Norris was interviewed by Jenson Button as part of Miami’s unique post-race coverage via Sky Sports F1 (4/5 10:43 pm).
Asked about the race, Norris explained, “I mean, it’s never the best feeling, but the team have done an amazing job so I can’t fault them at all.
“Good pit stops, great pace, yeah, we were up the road, so it’s a good feeling!
“Oscar drove well, Max put up a good fight as always, and I paid the price, but that’s the way it is.”
Button then asked, “Was it too inviting to go around the outside of Max at turn two? Obviously, it was always going to get narrow, especially with Max.”
Norris replied, “What can I say? If I don’t go for it, people complain, if I go for it, people complain, so, you can’t win.
“But, it’s the way it is with Max, it’s crash or don’t pass and unless you get it really right and you put him in the perfect position then you can just about get there.
“But I paid the price for not doing a good enough job today, but I’m still happy with second.”
Button finished and said, “The important thing is you did what was right for you,” to which Norris concluded, “Well, that’s what I did.”
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Piastri has now opened up a 16-point lead over Norris after the first quarter of the season, with Verstappen more than a victory behind the Australian.
It’s been a long time since the Dutchman has been that far off the top of the drivers’ championship, and Red Bull don’t look capable of bridging that gap.
Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda clung onto a point by one-tenth of a second after being penalised, highlighting what a brilliant job the 27-year-old is doing to try and be competitive.
However, Red Bull will be worried about a get-out clause in Verstappen’s contract as he drifts further away from the top two drivers.
For McLaren, they will know that Norris needs to realise what it takes to win a world championship that Piastri appears to have the upper hand on.
The Australian is the man to beat right now, and while he doesn’t have the quickest car, Verstappen is still playing a crucial role in the championship battle.
