Lando Norris finished second at the Miami GP, but it was a bittersweet result. His teammate Oscar Piastri took the win—his third in a row—widening the points gap between them to 16. Piastri now leads 4–1 in victories this season, putting pressure on Norris within McLaren.

To make matters worse, Norris struggled once again in direct battles with Max Verstappen, an issue that haunted him last season too. At the race start, Verstappen forced him off track, dropping him from second to sixth. Later, during the first stint, Norris spent several laps stuck behind the Red Bull driver, losing valuable time while Piastri extended his lead up front.

“It’s never a good feeling to finish second,” Norris said after the race. “But the team did an amazing job—great pit stops, good pace. We were leading at one point. Oscar drove well. Max fought hard as usual, and I paid the price. That’s just how it goes.”

Reflecting on the start, Norris added: “With Max, it’s simple: either you crash or you don’t get past. Unless you do everything perfectly, he won’t let you through. I didn’t do well enough today, but I’m still happy with second.”

The key difference for now? Piastri has managed to beat Verstappen in a head-to-head.

Photo: McLaren F1