Max Verstappen, representing the Netherlands and racing for Red Bull, took part in the FIA Press Conference after the Miami Grand Prix on May 5, 2024. This event was part of the Formula 1 World Championship, specifically the 6th round, and took place in Miami, Florida, USA.
Verstappen made a humorous comment, stating that if his mother had a certain male attribute, essentially she would become his father. This comment was made in response to discussions about his potential victory over Lando Norris in the Miami Grand Prix, if circumstances were different.
Initially, Verstappen seemed poised for a third consecutive victory in Miami, as he led the race from pole position and maintained a comfortable lead over the other cars during the first stint. However, his race took a turn for the worse when he damaged the floor by hitting a cone on the 22nd lap. Additionally, a Safety Car situation allowed Norris to overtake Verstappen.
During the restart, Verstappen struggled to keep up with the pace set by Norris and ended up finishing 7.6 seconds behind the race winner for the first time. Verstappen expressed his surprise upon learning about the impressive lap times Norris was able to achieve on worn Medium tires before the intervention.
When asked if he believed he could still have won without the free pit stop, Norris responded by stating that he was not aware of the gap between them before the Safety Car period. He acknowledged that it would have been a challenging task to overtake two Ferrari cars, Red Bull, and Oscar Piastri, who was performing exceptionally well.
Verstappen continued with his witty comment mentioned earlier, highlighting the fact that race interruptions can sometimes benefit certain drivers more than others. He emphasized that races are full of “ifs” scenarios and unpredictable outcomes.
Despite finishing in second place, Verstappen extended his lead in the championship standings, as his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, secured fourth place. Verstappen admitted he was surprised by McLaren’s strong performance during the race.
He acknowledged that winning and losing are part of the racing experience and that everyone involved in the sport is accustomed to these results. Verstappen mentioned he did not feel particularly comfortable with the Medium tires and noticed McLaren’s impressive lap times after their pit stop, which made him realize their pace superiority.
Verstappen praised Norris for his victory, expressing his happiness for his long-time friend. He believed Norris deserved the win and predicted that this would not be his last achievement in Formula 1, despite taking 110 attempts to reach this milestone.
