During Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, Lando Norris was seen making a rude gesture toward Max Verstappen, but it’s McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who continues to command attention with a dominant performance this season. Verstappen, meanwhile, appeared indifferent to Norris' actions.
Although Verstappen started from pole position, both he and Red Bull were unable to match McLaren’s race pace. Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko acknowledged the gap, stating, "Max showed brilliance in qualifying, but during the race, we saw how much quicker McLaren is about seven tenths per lap."
Piastri claimed his third straight win, stretching his lead in the championship standings to 16 points over Norris. Norris, frustrated after a close on-track battle with Verstappen, was caught on camera showing his middle finger to the Red Bull driver. Reflecting on the incident, Norris criticized Verstappen’s aggressive approach: “That’s just how it is with Max you either crash or back out. But he’s only hurting his own race. It’s not smart racing.”
Verstappen responded by saying he was just trying to enjoy the race, given that he wasn’t in contention for the victory. “I tried a few moves against the McLarens,” he said. “I’ve got nothing to lose, so I was just having a bit of fun.”
He also downplayed Red Bull’s protest over a yellow flag involving George Russella decision that might have moved him up to third. “Third or fourth doesn’t make a difference to me,” Verstappen said. “At one point I just thought, ‘whatever I’ll head home soon.’”
When asked about Norris' gesture and his own reputation for aggressive racing, Verstappen shrugged off the criticism. “Why would that be a problem?” he said to Viaplay. “I defend myself just like any other driver on the grid.”