Max Verstappen has broken his silence after receiving a heavy penalty from the FIA following the chaotic Miami Grand Prix, where tensions with McLaren boiled over both on and off the track.
The Red Bull driver, who started on pole, clashed fiercely with McLaren rival Lando Norris through the opening corners at the Hard Rock Stadium. Norris later accused Verstappen of a “crash or don’t pass” approach, claiming the Dutchman deliberately forced him off track, costing him crucial positions.
Lando flipping Max off 😭😭😭😭 what was this race bro lmaoooooo pic.twitter.com/KaZ5AaaEdh
— deni (@fiagirly) May 4, 2025
“I was completely alongside, and he just squeezed me off,” Norris complained over team radio during the race. “What am I meant to do? Drive into the wall or something?”
While the stewards initially noted the incident but took no action, the FIA later reviewed Verstappen’s aggressive defense after the race and handed him a post-race time penalty, demoting him to fourth place behind George Russell.
Reacting to the decision, Verstappen said: “I don’t agree with the penalty at all. We were racing hard, but that’s what Formula 1 is about. If every battle ends in a penalty, we might as well not fight at all. I left space, and we both went off — it was part of the fight. This feels unnecessary.”
The lead changes hands! ⚔️
Piastri passes Verstappen in Miami#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/TD63Va1Lhq
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 4, 2025
Despite the penalty, Verstappen remained defiant about his driving: “I will always race hard. That’s how I’ve won titles, and I won’t change. If people want easy overtakes, they can look somewhere else.”
Meanwhile, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took his third straight victory, finishing 4.6 seconds ahead of Norris and expanding his title lead. Norris, despite frustrations, acknowledged Verstappen’s challenge, saying, “It’s always a fight with Max. You either go for it and risk it, or you don’t pass at all.”
As the championship heads to the next round, all eyes will be on whether Verstappen tones down his approach — or if the fierce battles will only escalate.
