Lewis Hamilton's former adversary highlights the silver lining in Lando Norris post-F1 Miami GP demeanor

Jenson Button believes Lando Norris remained upbeat despite missing out on a potential win at the Miami Grand Prix. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the 2009 world champion noted that Norris’ early race battle with Max Verstappen at Turn 2 ultimately cost him a shot at victory. On the opening lap, Norris attempted an ambitious move on Verstappen but ran wide, dropping down to sixth and forcing himself into recovery mode for much of the race.

Despite demonstrating race-winning pace and managing to climb back through the field, Norris could only finish second, 4.630 seconds behind his teammate Oscar Piastri, who secured a commanding victory. Button observed that although the lost opportunity might have frustrated the McLaren driver in the past, this time Norris appeared more composed and optimistic after the race, a sign of growing maturity.

Jenson Button highlighted that Lando Norris has often been self-critical in similar situations previously, but his positive demeanor in Miami suggests confidence in both his own performance and the team’s trajectory. The former champion was also full of praise for Piastri, remarking that the Australian is invincible once he takes the lead, having demonstrated calm, control, and outright pace throughout the weekend.

Commenting on the McLaren drivers and their performances, Button said:

“Amazing job by Oscar Piastri this weekend. As soon as he gets in the lead he's formidable. He just controls the race and it's extraordinary to watch. Lando Norris 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.”

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Lando Norris reckons the battle with Max Verstappen cost him dearly in Miami

Lando Norris admitted that his early battle with Max Verstappen likely cost him a shot at victory in the Miami Grand Prix. Reflecting on the incident, he pointed out that overtaking the Red Bull driver is no easy task, given Verstappen’s aggressive and uncompromising racecraft.

He acknowledged that while he saw an opportunity to pass, he also knew he would face criticism had he not taken the chance. The Brit also stated that a driver has to put Verstappen in the perfect position to get past him, hinting at the fine margins involved when duelling with the reigning world champion.

Taking a veiled jab at Verstappen’s hard-nosed approach, Lando Norris suggested that when racing against him, it often comes down to either making contact or failing to overtake, requiring perfect execution through every move and corner.

Ultimately, the McLaren driver said he paid the price for not pulling off the overtake cleanly, as he ran wide at Turn 2 on the opening lap and lost several positions. Despite a strong recovery and second-place finish, Norris wondered what could have been with a cleaner first lap.

Commenting on his race in the podium interview, Lando Norris said:

“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. 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.”

Lando Norris is enjoying one of the strongest seasons of his Formula 1 career, sitting second in the drivers’ championship standings. He trails his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by 16 points, with the Australian leading the title race on 131 points.

Norris, who has demonstrated consistent pace and racecraft throughout the season, now has 115 points to his name. Max Verstappen, the defending world champion, follows in third place with 99 points. Before the Miami Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver was just one point adrift of Norris, but the Briton’s strong result in Florida allowed him to pull clear of Verstappen and close the gap to Piastri.

In the constructors’ championship, McLaren’s remarkable run of form has given the team a commanding lead. The team has amassed 246 points so far, thanks to a series of double podiums and balanced contribution from both drivers.

Mercedes sits second with 141 points, while Red Bull is third with 105 points. The standings highlight a significant shift in the competitive order this season, with McLaren emerging as the benchmark team across both qualifying and race day performances.