Lando Norris says battling Max Verstappen is a case of ‘crash or don’t pass’

Lando Norris took aim at Max Verstappen’s “crash or don’t pass” driving after he accused the Red Bull driver of deliberately pushing him off the road at the Miami Grand Prix.

Pole-sitter Verstappen and Norris went toe-to-toe through the opening two corners at the Hard Rock Stadium, with the latter falling off the track and losing four positions.

Oscar Piastri passed Verstappen on lap 14 to assume the lead and, although Norris followed him through four laps later, he was already nine seconds behind.

Piastri took the chequered flag 4.6 seconds clear of Norris to land his third victory in a row and increase his title advantage over his McLaren team-mate from nine points to 16. Verstappen finished fourth.

Norris said: “It is never the best feeling. Max put up a good fight, as always and I paid the price.

“What can I say? If I don’t go for it, people complain and if I do go for it, people complain, too. But that is the way it is with Max. Crash or don’t pass.”

Norris had acknowledged that he needed to kick his stuttering title bid into gear and, although he took advantage of a safety car to win Saturday’s sprint race, he will leave Florida further behind his team-mate in the title race.

His hopes of victory evaporated on the first lap when Verstappen out-braked himself into the opening right-hander and had Norris, who started alongside the Dutchman on the front row, for company at the next corner.

But Norris ran out of room and when he re-joined the track he was down in sixth position. Verstappen retained the lead.

Norris was straight on the radio to complain: “He forced me off, mate. What am I meant to do? Just drive into the wall or something? I was completely alongside (him).”

The stewards noted the flashpoint but did not believe it warranted an investigation, let alone a punishment.

On lap four, Piastri, who started fourth, moved clear of Kimi Antonelli to take second. Verstappen then launched a champion’s defence to keep Piastri’s superior McLaren behind.

But, after he carried too much speed into the first corner on lap 14, Piastri swooped by.

By now, Norris, who had made light work of Alex Albon, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to take third, was on Verstappen’s gearbox and back in contention.

On lap 17, he slung his McLaren underneath Verstappen’s Red Bull but both drivers ran off the road and Norris was advised to give the position back – which he did at the penultimate corner.

Norris finally got his man on the next lap but he had lost more than six seconds and Piastri was nine seconds up the road and too far ahead to challenge.

Verstappen lost out under a Virtual Safety Car to allow George Russell to take the final spot on the podium – half-a-minute behind Piastri. Verstappen finished fourth.

“Two years ago at Miami we were the slowest team and we were lapped twice,” said Piastri. “Now to have won the Grand Prix by over 35 seconds to third is an unbelievable result.”