Lando Norris scolds Max Verstappen with damning 10-word message after Miami GP

has called out for "ruining his own race" and "not racing very smart" . The reigning world champion did everything he could but failed to fend off McLaren duo and Norris before the two battles cost him a podium spot to Mercedes' George Russell.

Norris started the Miami GP on the front row but lost four positions in the first corner after Verstappen forced him off the track. The Brit took advantage of McLaren's superior pace to soar back up the grid and cross the line in P2 behind Piastri, over 30 seconds ahead of Russell. And he believes that Verstappen damaged his own push for points by aggressively defending against the Papayas for as long as he did.

Norris said: "He's fighting hard, but it's up to him to do that. He's ruining his own race. He's not racing very smart.

"He probably could have finished third today, and he didn't because of that. So yeah, he's fighting; that is always expected, but that's what it is."

Verstappen had no regrets after the race in the United States, saying: "Honestly, it's not frustrating at all [to lose a podium].

"We are here to win, and today we were miles off that, so it doesn't really matter if you are a P3 or P4. I had nothing to lose, so I also just wanted to have a bit of fun out there."

Norris would have hoped to follow up his sprint race victory with his latest Grand Prix triumph after going second fastest in qualifying.

But the incident in the first corner opened the door for his team-mate, Piastri, to challenge Verstappen for P1 and seal his third consecutive race win.

After the race, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggested Norris should have hung back to maintain P2 rather than go for the early overtake.

"With the benefit of hindsight, let's say that considering the situation in corner one-two, it could have been better for Lando to just lift and make sure that he could keep the second position," Stella explained.

"Because the car, again, with the benefit of hindsight, we see that he was very fast, and he would certainly have passed Max, like Oscar, and then later Lando was in condition to do.

"So I think, like every situation in racing, you have to approach with the mindset of reviewing where the opportunities lie. And I think, in this case, Lando could have been a little bit more patient."

Piastri sits at the top of the Drivers' Championship on 131 points, 16 ahead of Norris, 32 ahead of Verstappen and 38 ahead of Russell.

McLaren are already soaring towards back-to-back Constructors' Championship titles, boasting 246 points compared to Mercedes' 141. Red Bull are on 105, and Ferrari 94.