Max Verstappen, representing the Netherlands and racing for Red Bull, participated 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 Round 6, and took place in Miami, Florida, USA.
Verstappen humorously remarked that if his mother possessed a certain male attribute, she would essentially become his father. This comment was made in response to discussions regarding his potential victory over Lando Norris in the Miami Grand Prix, had circumstances been different.
Initially, Verstappen seemed poised for a third consecutive win in Miami as he led the race from the pole position and maintained a comfortable gap ahead of the other cars during the first stint. However, his race took a turn for the worse when he incurred floor damage after hitting a cone on Lap 22. Additionally, a Safety Car situation allowed Norris to move ahead of Verstappen.
During the restart, Verstappen struggled to keep up with the pace set by Norris and ultimately finished 7.6 seconds behind the first-time race winner. Verstappen expressed his surprise upon learning about the impressive lap times that Norris managed to achieve on worn-out Medium tires prior to the intervention.
When questioned about whether he believed he could have still won without the free pit stop, Norris responded by stating that he was unaware of the gap between them before the Safety Car period. He acknowledged that it would have been a challenging task to overtake two Ferraris, Red Bull, and Oscar Piastri, who was performing exceptionally well.
Verstappen followed up with his aforementioned witty remark, highlighting the fact that race interruptions can sometimes benefit certain drivers more than others. He emphasized that racing is filled with “if” 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 that he was taken aback by McLaren’s strong performance during the race.
He acknowledged that winning and losing are both part of the racing experience and that everyone involved in the sport is accustomed to such outcomes. Verstappen mentioned that he didn’t feel particularly comfortable on the Medium tires and noticed McLaren’s impressive lap times after his pit stop, which made him realize their superior pace.
Verstappen praised Norris for his victory, expressing his happiness for his long-time friend. He believed that Norris deserved the win and predicted that it would not be his last triumph in Formula 1, despite it taking him 110 attempts to achieve this milestone.