P1racenews AI automatic summary:
A rare mistake caused Max Verstappen to suffer floor damage and lose time at the Miami Grand Prix. But how costly was the slip-up?
The Miami Grand Prix presented challenges for Max Verstappen, who had a turbulent race weekend despite initially winning the sprint race and securing pole position. Lando Norris seized the opportunity during Sunday’s main race, capitalizing on a safety car period to strategically take the lead after his sole pit stop. Norris ultimately claimed his first career grand prix victory, aided in part by Verstappen’s setbacks, including a damaged floor caused by a mishap on lap 21. Verstappen’s floor damage was confirmed by team principal Christian Horner, impacting his pace and preventing a potential challenge for the lead. Analysis post-race suggested that Verstappen’s floor issue caused a notable performance drop, particularly visible in turn one where he consistently lost time to Norris. Despite uncertainties, observations indicate that the floor damage likely played a role in impeding Verstappen’s competitiveness against Norris.
