Initially, Norris struggled to keep up with Verstappen on medium tires. McLaren decided on a one-stop strategy, switching to hard compound tires to gain an advantage over the Red Bull driver.
During the final 15 laps, Norris steadily closed the gap on Verstappen, almost reaching a point where he could use DRS. However, he just missed the chance as they approached the final lap.
As the race ended, the Miami race winner was only 0.725 seconds behind the Dutchman. Despite his disappointment, Norris indicated that he felt he could have made a move if he had “one or two more laps.”
Reflecting on the race, Stella offered a different perspective. In his post-race interview, the Italian engineer analyzed the situation, explaining that overtaking on this circuit and Verstappen’s exceptional skill would have posed challenges even with additional laps.
“Well, 63 laps is already many laps,” stated the 53-year-old.
“Many times, you say you would like one lap more.
“It is what it is, and also, it is Max Verstappen; I am sure he was a bit in trouble, but he managed to get the most out of what he had, so well done, Max and well done to our two drivers, second and fourth.”
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