Max Verstappen dealt blow over crucial 'when, not if' factor

Max Verstappen being dispatched of during the Miami Grand Prix was a case of "when I got past, not if", in the words of Oscar Piastri. With the Dutchman slipping to 32 points adrift of the McLaren driver in the championship standings after the round in Florida, that damning indictment amplifies the painful reality of his waning title fight. It highlights that no matter how spirited a defence the reigning four-time F1 drivers' champion can put up in his on-track battles with Piastri - and the Australian's team-mate, Lando Norris - he will struggle to keep the MCL39s behind on the road, and also struggle to remain in touch of attaining a record-equalling fifth-consecutive crown. Reflecting on the grand prix at the Miami International Autodrome, Piastri underscored the difficulties facing Verstappen at circuits that allow passing, consequentially alluding to the fact the Red Bull driver needs to hope the McLarens perform badly in qualifying at difficult-to-overtake tracks and capitalise from there. "I enjoyed it at certain points, yes," the six-time grand prix winner recalled to media including RacingNews365 . "It was tough at the beginning trying to get past Max. "I tried pretty hard to get past, with everything still on my car. It was not easy but I picked my moments when I needed to. "I could tell that we had a lot of pace from the get-go today, and it was going to be a matter of when I got past, not if."

Thorn in the side

Even if Verstappen can continue performing to a high standard across one lap, having taken three pole positions over the past four rounds, he is at risk of being reduced to a thorn in the side of Piastri and Norris. The 24-year-old's remarks point out how the battle between the McLaren pair will have an added element to it: how well each can handle racing against the 64-time grand prix winner. Piastri was more clinical in how he disposed of the RB21 in the Sunshine State, with the British driver needing a second bite at the cherry. It was an important factor in allowing him to build a gap and not come under threat from his team-mate in the closing stages. There have also been accusations made that Verstappen shows a level of respect and consideration when going wheel-to-wheel with the Australian that he does not reserve for Norris, but it is nonetheless a potentially championship-defining variable. "But I wanted to do it as efficiently as I could because I knew once Lando got back behind me, he was going to be catching us a lot," Piastri explained. "I wanted to get through quickly but cleanly. I felt like I did a pretty good job of that, then built a gap. "Maybe not the strongest second half of the race of my life, but I think building that gap and being quick at the right times was what I needed."