‘That’s obvious, isn’t it?’ Norris in testy interview exchange as star fumes over Max controversy

Lando Norris has expressed his frustrations with Max Verstappen after a second-place finish in Miami behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who extended his lead in the driver’s championship with a fourth win of the season.

Norris had the pace to push for victory but was chasing his tail throughout the 57 laps after tangling with Verstappen on the first lap and being sent off the track without the Dutchman incurring any penalty.

After starting the race on the front row in second, the Brit fell to fourth behind pole sitter Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli and Piastri.

Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during racing. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Norris worked his way through the field, and duelled with Verstappen once again later in the race.

He even sent the Red Bull car off the track at one point, but made the call to give back the position before taking it fair and square later in the same lap.

Speaking post-race, Norris felt like he was put in a no win position by Verstappen’s tactics.

“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, we were up the road. It was a good feeling but Oscar drove well,” Norris said.

“Max put up a good fight as always and I paid the price, but it’s the way it is.

“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 is the way it is with Max, it’s crash or don’t pass.

“Unless you get it really right and you put him in the perfect position, then you can just about get there.

“I paid the price for not doing a good enough job today, but I’m still happy with second.”

In a later interview with Sky Sports, Norris showed that he was not happy post-race and that his frustrations over the first lap incident were still eating away at him.

Giving very short answers about his battle with Verstappen, he said the only way to avoid a repeat in future races was to “qualify ahead, it’s the obvious thing isn’t it?”.

He then admitted that claiming pole position is not the only way to get ahead of the Dutchman as he, Piastri and fellow podium finisher George Russell of Mercedes all overtook Verstappen at various stages of the races.

But expressed that he felt hard done by, as if the four-time world champion targets him more heavily than others.

“Oscar got past him, I got past him. We both got past him but you’ve got to be in the perfect place,” Norris said.

“In the end, he just let me go. He didn’t even put up a fight in the end. It depends on how much he wants to fight you.

“It’s Max. He’s doing a good job. He can do whatever he wants.”

The reporter then asked whether Norris truly meant that Verstappen “can do whatever he wants”, to which he replied, “no, I’m just saying it for the interview”.

He was then asked if he regretted going for the gap on the first lap that led to him being run off the track, and Norris stood by his decision.

“Nothing. There’s a gap I’ve got to go for it. I’m here to race,” he said.

Speaking on Sky Sports post-race, former world champion Jenson Button expressed his belief that Norris did the right thing going for the opening, saying that Kimi Antonelli would have tried to take it otherwise.

In the same discussion, commentator Martin Brundle agreed that Norris would not change a thing about the clash with Verstappen.

“I don’t think Lando could have done anything else than hit the throttle,” he said.

“Max is compromised on the outside of Turn One. He’s got to hit the throttle and go.

“He did well to actually not let contact sort of develop there. He had no option but to hit the throttle and go because it looked like he could take the place.

“Max then had another slide into Turn Two that walks him across the track, Lando recognises he’s going in the wall.

“I think if he was in the same situation again, he’d have to do the same thing again. It just didn’t work out for him.

“It probably cost him this Grand Prix.”

But there could be an awkward encounter in the pits ahead as McLaren team principal Andrea Stella told Sky Sports that Norris probably made the wrong call because he knows how powerful the car is, and could have made up ground later in the race.“The first lap and in particular corner one and corner one, in hindsight, it would have been potentially wiser for Lando to lift and accept that he would have gained the lead later in the race, because the car was fast enough,” Stella said.

“In terms of giving back the position, I think that was the right thing to do, because Lando in our judgement was outside the track limits and therefore you have to give back the position.”

Norris won the sprint race on Saturday and then qualified second fastest in Miami, and picking up another 18 world championship points made the Brit insist that it was still a good weekend for him.

But it is clear he does not want to be behind his Australian teammate.

“It’s still been a very good weekend for me. I’m happy with my progress. I felt comfortable in the car once again,” Norris said.

“Still things I need to focus on. I’m still not in the happiest, most perfect place and I need to be there if I want to qualify in front and perform against all the other guys, the best.

“Pace was very strong but these little things have got in the way. But that happens. I’m still happy.

“I’m not in the position that I want of course. I need to try and find a way to fight and win, but always next time.”

The opening lap incident caused much debate throughout the race, and post-race.

After Norris crossed the finish line, Brundle said “he’s going to be really unhappy after this” on commentary as the clash with Verstappen allowed Piastri to widen the gap between the McLaren teammates in the driver’s standings to 16 points.

Piastri also surpassed Norris for career victories – six to five – and the Australian’s impressive form could mean the team shies away from their ‘let them race’ policy at times as the season goes on.

But Button was surprised that his fellow Brit was not more dejected post-race despite knowing an opportunity slipped by him, and it may have major ramifications.

“Amazing job by Oscar this weekend. As soon as he gets in the lead he’s formidable. He just controls the race and it’s extraordinary to watch,” Button said on Sky Sports.

“Lando on the other hand had the mishap at Turn 2 [at the start]. But after that his pace was unbelievable.

“The thing that surprised me most was he didn’t seem that downbeat. He wasn’t as downbeat as I expected him to be.

“He knows Turn 2 cost him the race but knows his pace is there and his time will come.”