'I don't know what Verstappen was doing, he just ruined his own race'

Paradoxically, the four-time world champion ended up benefiting from his opening-lap spin, as the safety car triggered by the double crash involving his team-mate and Pierre Gasly allowed Red Bull to pit him early and complete his mandatory stop almost immediately.

Despite suffering from tyre degradation later in the race, Verstappen managed to stay competitive for much of the Grand Prix and even briefly found himself leading the field before eventually falling to the superior pace of Antonelli and Norris, who battled for victory until the chequered flag. While the Italian cleared him relatively comfortably, Norris was forced to work much harder to complete the move, losing valuable time in the process.

In the usual post-race cooldown room, Norris appeared to take aim at his rival over the incident, suggesting Verstappen’s defence had ultimately hurt both of their races: “I don't know what Max was doing, he just ruined his own race.”

Alongside his battle with Norris, Verstappen endured a highly eventful Miami Grand Prix from start to finish. The Dutchman first spun in the opening-lap fight for the lead, forcing him into a recovery drive through the field, before later becoming involved in contact with George Russell during their late-race battle for fifth place.

Speaking to GPblog after the race, Verstappen downplayed the clash with Russell, describing it as a normal racing incident and rejecting any suggestion that it had anything to do with the tension between the pair in recent months. The Red Bull driver also reflected on his drag race with Leclerc on the run to the finish line, hinting that the Ferrari driver had likely been struggling with issues in the closing stages while admitting he was still able to edge ahead at the final moment.