Damon Hill backs Lando Norris’ criticism of Max Verstappen’s driving in Miami

Damon Hill has taken aim at Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, accusing him of wasting energy by fighting for positions when the odds are stacked against him.

Verstappen lined up on the front row but found himself in the midfield after spinning at Turn 1. An early pit stop under safety car conditions then left him out of sync with the rest of the field.

He briefly took the lead as others pitted, but his hard tyres were much older by that point. Verstappen eventually finished sixth, having been overtaken by Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and George Russell.

Damon Hill and Juan Pablo Montoya criticise Max Verstappen’s ‘not smart’ racing

Verstappen put up a fight despite struggling for grip, but the Red Bull driver was eventually overtaken after a series of close battles.

Juan Pablo Montoya, speaking on the Chequered Flag podcast, noted Verstappen’s determination but pointed out it was costing him time. Damon Hill agreed that it would have been better to take a more measured approach in that situation.

Montoya said: “He raced hard, and I appreciate the way he raced hard, but I think at the end of the race, the way he was racing people when he was trying to defend position… once the guy gets you, the best way not to get passed by more people is stop fighting and just get in line.”

“He kept fighting and bringing more people over. I was like: ‘Why are you fighting yourself?’”

Hill added: “He does let people know that he’s prepared to fight every inch. Sometimes, you do think: ‘You’re wasting your energy, it’s not smart.’”

Max Verstappen draws criticism from Lando Norris after Miami GP

Norris, watching race highlights in the cooldown room, said Verstappen was ‘ruining his own race’ by engaging in battles he was unlikely to win.

Verstappen also came under fire from former teammate Carlos Sainz, who believed the Red Bull driver was being overly aggressive with midfield drivers during his climb back through the field.

When asked about Sainz’s remarks after the race, Verstappen responded via AS: “It’s a jungle in the midfield, I don’t have much more to say.”

Despite that, there were some positive signs for Verstappen. He picked up 14 points in Miami, surpassing his total from the first three races combined (12) as he looks to close the gap early this season.