“Unworthy winner” Danica Patrick has spoken out that Max Verstappen should have won the 2025 Miami GP title instead of Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri
The 2025 Miami Grand Prix delivered a McLaren Masterclass, with Oscar Piastri leading his third consecutive win and teammate Lando Norris securing second, but not everyone believes the right driver was on top of the podium. Former NASCAR and IndyCar star turned Sky Sports F1 pundit Danica Patrick ignited a firestorm of debate with her claim that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished fourth, was the real deserving winner of the Miami GP. Patrick’s comments, branding the McLaren duo’s triumph “unworthy”, divided fans and intensified scrutiny of the race’s controversial moments, raising questions about fairness, racecraft and the evolving dynamics of the 2025 Formula 1 title fight.
Patrick’s comments came during Sky Sports’ post-race analysis, where he argued that Verstappen’s pole position and early race pace had proven his superiority, only for strategic missteps and on-track battles to cost him the win. “Max had the car to beat in qualifying, and he was holding his own up to McLaren’s pace and some questionable moments launched the race,” Patrick said, per Sky Sports. He pointed to the featured incident where Verstappen’s defensive move forced Norris off the track in turn two, leaving him in sixth place, as a key moment that unfairly favoured McLaren. While the Stewards deemed it a racing incident, Patrick suggested that Verstappen’s aggressive style was unfairly penalised by the outcome, allowing Piastri to capitalise and extend the lead by lap 14.
Piastri’s win was a display of clinical excellence, as he outpaced Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and then Verstappen, building a nine-second gap to Norris as his teammate took out the Red Bull. Norris, despite a valiant recovery, could not close the 4.6-second deficit to Piastri, who extended his championship to 16 points. Yet Patrick argued that Verstappen’s tyre wear issues and a virtual safety car (VSC) benefiting Mercedes’ George Russell, who took third, skewed the race against the four-time champion. “Red Bull were struggling with the balance, but Max was still in the fight. Without those external factors, he could have controlled the race from the front,” he said.
The backlash was swift. Social media erupted with fans calling Patrick’s take “embarrassing”, pointing to McLaren’s dominant pace – which was 37 seconds ahead of Russell – as proof of their rightful victory. One user X wrote: “Danica saying Verstappen deserved it when McLaren was a second a lap faster is wild. Oscar controlled that race!” Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle took issue with Patrick, praising Piastri’s link-up as “fractionally more effective” than Norris’, noting his ability to force Verstappen into a LAP-14 error on turn one. Piastri himself played down the controversy, telling Nine Today, “I knew we were quicker than Max from the start. It was a case of picking my moment in you.”
Patrick’s comments have also reignited debates over Verstappen’s driving style, which has been a lightning rod in 2025. After a five-second penalty in Saudi Arabia for a similar first-courier skirmish with Piastri, Verstappen’s thin-edged tactics have drawn both admiration and criticism. Norris, visibly frustrated after the race, accused Verstappen of forcing him off the track, a sentiment Patrick appeared to dismiss as “negative speech.” This has fueled speculation of a Toro Rossi rivalry with Art Fog, with Piastri emerging as the championship leader and Verstappen trailing by 32 points.
As the F1 circus moves to Imola, Patrick’s comments have added fuel to an already intense title battle. Has Verstappen truly been robbed, or have McLaren’s superior strategy and speed earned them the Miami crown? With Piastri’s momentum and Norris’s hunger for redemption, the spotlight remains on whether Verstappen can reclaim his dominance, or whether Patrick’s bold statement will be daunted by McLaren’s continued reign.
