F1 fans stunned by Lando Norris' race engineer as unheard team radio message about Max Verstappen emerges

Formula 1 fans have been reacting on social media after hearing what Lando Norris' race engineer said about Max Verstappen.

On Sunday, McLaren continued their dominant start to the 2025 season as Oscar Piastri won the Miami Grand Prix ahead of Norris.

During the first lap, there was a hugely controversial moment as Verstappen and Norris battled for position.

The pair were side by side as they entered Turn Two, with Norris running wide, which led to him dropping from second all the way down to sixth.

However, Norris produced a brilliant recovery drive to finish behind Piastri.

After the race, the Brit was critical of Verstappen, claiming he 'ruined his own race' by not racing 'smart'.

The McLaren star said: "He's fighting hard, but it's up to him to do that. He's ruining his own race. He's not racing very smart.

"He probably could have finished third today, and he didn't because of that. So yeah, he's fighting, that is always expected, but that's what it is."

On social media, a team radio message from Norris' race engineer, Will Joseph, went viral after he was heard saying: "Max is complaining about his brakes, try to force him to f**k up his brakes." You can watch the footage below. The video contains strong language.

Reacting on social media, one fan said: "Just imagine if Horner or GP said this."

Another tweeted: "This cannot be serious."

A third fan added: "The fact that he needed all that to happen to overtake Max is... something."

However, some fans were quick to defend the McLaren engineer.

Someone wrote: "This is normal? Clueless Max fans thinking everything is an attack against him, it’s the same as an engineer saying 'wear his tires out'. All he's saying is overheat Max's brakes so you can overtake."

Another fan said: "Clueless fans haven’t a clue. It’s about putting a driver under pressure and causing them to make a mistake. Unfortunately for Lando, it is very rare that Max makes mistakes when under pressure."

F1 will return in two weeks' time with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which will be held at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola.