The ‘usual’ duel
Even in the Miami GP, which he finished in second place behind teammate Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris found himself at the center of criticism from pundits and fans alike for his lack of aggression in two key moments of his race—his duels with Max Verstappen. Afterwards, Norris criticized his friend and rival’s race conduct in front of the media, calling it unintelligent. “We could’ve had a 1-2, him and me,” said McLaren’s #4.
Before that, Norris had already said Max Verstappen is impossible to overtake unless you “crash into him.” In general, after similar incidents in the second half of last season, Norris appears to have trouble handling on-track battles with the four-time world champion. This was underlined by a clear gesture of frustration the vice world champion made during the heat of the fight with Red Bull’s #1 in Miami.
The middle finger
After trying to pass the Dutchman into Turn 1 on lap 15 and being pushed onto the curb by Max Verstappen—while also likely noticing Oscar Piastri pulling away ahead—Lando Norris couldn’t contain his frustration and showed the middle finger to his rival, who was making life difficult for him.
It’s certainly not the first time this gesture has appeared during a heated position battle—David Coulthard’s famous finger to Michael Schumacher at the 2000 French GP comes to mind—but in context, it seems to visually represent the emotional struggle the British driver faces whenever he has to go up against the four-time titleholder. Perhaps this is where the difference with Oscar Piastri becomes most evident: the Australian managed to stay calm, avoid being rattled by Verstappen’s blocking, and overtake him by capitalizing on the Red Bull driver’s first mistake.
Lando Norris showed Max the finger when he couldn't overtake him 😶pic.twitter.com/slnXesXzzz
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) May 4, 2025
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