Even Max Verstappen, believe it or not, can have bad day at F1 Miami Grand Prix | Habib

MIAMI GARDENS — Do what Max Verstappen did Sunday afternoon and it’ll cost you $165.

For the first time in the three-year history of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen did not win. Lando Norris did, capitalizing on a rare bad day for Verstappen that unfolded after he nailed an orange plastic pole on the side of the course just before the race’s midpoint.

Picture a driver on I-95 illegally crushing those poles to jump into the exclusive lane and you’re on the right track.

When Verstappen hit the pole and it flew into his windshield, it was obvious his Red Bull Racing car wasn’t handling well, but things quickly got worse. He pitted two laps later and wished he hadn’t. Shortly after he exited, the yellow flag came out, enabling Norris to enter and exit the pits ahead of Verstappen.

And that essentially was the race.

“You win, you lose — I think we’re all used to that in racing,” Verstappen said.

The result sent shockwaves through the stands around Hard Rock Stadium, and not just because it was Norris’ first F1 win and McLaren’s first in a dozen years.

Max Verstappen placing second? Is that allowed?

It was easy to assume Verstappen would leave Miami with the win.

Just like he did last year.

And the year before that.

And the year before that.

Oh, wait. An instant correction is in order. Verstappen couldn’t have won the Miami Grand Prix three years ago because there was no Miami Grand Prix three years ago. Even if you knew that, good chance you read over the mistake and nodded in agreement because it sounded like fact.

That’s how dominant Max Verstappen has been. At least until now.

He’s John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins, the ’27 Yankees and the Bill Russell Celtics rolled into one. He is to winning what the Marlins are to losing. You know it’s going to happen and there’s hardly anything anyone can do to stop it.

To his credit, Verstappen, 26, handled the loss with grace.

“If a bad day is P-2, I’ll take it, right?” he said. “I’m very happy for Lando. It was a long time coming and he definitely deserves it today.”

You can bet it won’t be long before Verstappen takes his familiar place on the top step of the podium. F1 is so hot, both worldwide and even in this resurgence in the United States, that his dominance doesn't seem to dampen enthusiasm for the series. This weekend’s event around Hard Rock Stadium sold out again, pulling in about 275,000 over three days. All for a series that often ranks just above the WWE for competitive surprises.

Of the past 28 Grand Prix races dating back to last season, Verstappen has won 23.

Tom Garfinkel is CEO, vice chairman and president of the Dolphins, so he’s part of a league that’s all about parity. But Garfinkel also is managing partner of the Miami Grand Prix. Early Sunday, he was asked about the competitive contrast between the two worlds. He tried to build a case for F1 parity, pointing out that the gap between the No. 2 car and the last qualifier is shrinking and tiny. But even he had to concede the obvious difference between Verstappen and everybody else.

“In fact, I had one, I’ll say racing expert in Formula 1, tell me recently that he’s so dialed in right now they think he could drive blindfolded and still turn the lap,” Garfinkel said.

He might be onto something.

Just as the NFL forces parity on everyone — win a Super Bowl, you pick last in the draft — F1 should follow suit. Win a race? Congrats. But the next time out, you get the last pick of cars on pit lane. Let’s see how Verstappen performs not in a Red Bull car, but a rusty 1984 Corolla whose AC gave out during the Reagan administration. And since Verstappen is such a hotshot driver, let’s see how he handles Boca to downtown Miami on I-95 during rush hour.

Drivers, team personnel will be on the move in F1

OK, back to real life. Truth is, parity and intrigue might be right around the next corner in F1, what with all the chatter — some real, some just speculation — of musical chairs about to take place with drivers and key team personnel. This includes Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen, who between them have accounted for the past seven world championships. It also includes Adrian Newey, chief technology officer for Red Bull who’s considered the brains behind Verstappen’s team. Picture Bill Belichick, in his prime, declaring himself a free agent.

“It would be a privilege to work with him,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton recently has been banging his head against the wall with Mercedes, but he’ll be with Ferrari in 2025. Christian Wilkins didn’t leave the Dolphins for the Raiders until after the season, but switches a year in advance constitute business as usual in F1. The competitive nature of these drivers keeps everybody honest.

Take Verstappen after Saturday’s action on the track wrapped up. He’d already grabbed the pole for the Grand Prix and won the sprint race.

“Every year that we come here, I find it hard to be very consistent,” he said.

On another part of the campus, Ed Sheeran was entertaining fans with a string of hits. Nobody could have known that Verstappen would be putting on his own show: stand-up comedy. At least it sounded funny until late Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s result aside, there’s no getting around that Verstappen has a great team, a great car and is a great driver. Put together a list of the greatest athletes to ever perform in South Florida — Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, to name a few — and a case could be made for Verstappen.

He’s the driver everybody wants to beat. A driver so dominant, others grit their teeth.

“Look at what Scottie Scheffler is doing in golf right now,” Garfinkel said. “There’s something about it that’s kind of special to watch when someone’s able to perform at that level that consistently. There’s something beautiful about that, too.”

But I still think F1 ought to give that Corolla a try.

Either that, or more orange poles.

Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal. Click here to subscribe.