Lando Norris has humorously admitted to pulling a move similar to Max Verstappen’s controversial side-swipe on George Russell—but only while playing Mario Kart.
The Red Bull driver found himself at the centre of intense controversy during the final laps of the Spanish Grand Prix, when he aggressively rammed his Mercedes rival at turn one. Verstappen was initially instructed by his team to yield fourth position to Russell, and after slowing down to let the British driver pass, he suddenly accelerated and collided with the Mercedes to maintain his position. Although Verstappen eventually let Russell through a few corners later, he received a ten-second penalty, dropping from fifth to tenth place.
Watching the highlights together in the cooldown room were Norris, race winner Oscar Piastri, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Reacting to Verstappen’s aggressive move, Norris joked that he’d only made similar maneuvers during the famously chaotic racing game Mario Kart. Sky Sports co-commentator Nico Rosberg quickly labelled Norris’s comment “the quote of the weekend,” adding levity to the situation.
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Piastri, who extended his lead in the World Championship with his dominant win, reflected on the weekend saying, “It was a bit of a surprise to see Max try a three-stop strategy—it nearly worked for him. Overall, it was a great weekend.”
His McLaren teammate Norris praised the team’s performance: “Oscar drove a very good race today. I didn’t quite have the pace to match him, but we gave it our best shot. It’s been a long race with a lot going on at the safety car restart. It was a fun race, and for us as a team to finish one-two is fantastic.”
Piastri’s victory at the Spanish Grand Prix marked McLaren’s third one-two finish this season and their seventh win in nine races, reinforcing their strong position in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. Verstappen’s recent dominance at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he had won three straight races, came to an end following his penalized collision and a challenging late-race tire strategy.
As McLaren continues its early season surge, Verstappen faces an uphill battle to reclaim lost ground. The next race on the calendar is the Canadian Grand Prix in two weeks, where the championship drama is sure to continue.