Lando Norris once again questioned Max Verstappen's wheel-to-wheel conduct after the Miami Grand Prix, claiming it's a case of "crash or don't pass" when trying to overtake him and that the reigning Formula 1 world champion can do "whatever he wants."
Norris finished second on Sunday in Miami but could have been on for a crucial race win if not for a first-lap tangle with Verstappen, his fierce title rival from last year.
The British driver was alongside the Red Bull heading into Turn 2 before being forced wide and off the track, dropping back to sixth. The incident was noted by race stewards but as Norris was not ahead of Verstappen prior to the corner, no penalty was issued.
Verstappen was later passed by both McLarens but Norris couldn't sufficiently close the gap to teammate Oscar Piastri, who took his fourth race win of the season and extended his championship lead.
"Max put up a good fight as always and I paid the price, but it's the way it is," Norris said immediately after the race.
"What can I say? If I don't go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain, so you can't win.
"But it is the way it is with Max, it's crash or don't pass.
"Unless you get it really right and you put him in the perfect position, then you can just about get there."
Meanwhile, Verstappen told reporters the move seemed pretty fair: "There's not much more to add. I mean, I had nothing to lose, so I also just wanted to have a bit of fun out there," he said.
"The last race and the sprint race, today I think it's quite clear what is allowed and what isn't allowed, so I think everyone is adjusting to that."
Norris frequently clashed with Verstappen last year, most controversially at the Mexico City Grand Prix where the Dutchman was handed two separate 10-second time penalties for his antics.
Expanding to Sky Sports about the incident in Miami, Norris said without his avoiding action he would have been "in the wall, hard."
Asked if that was unfair, he said: "It's not for me to decide."
Asked what he should do instead, he said: "Qualify ahead.
"We both got past him ... you've just got to be in the perfect place. In the end he just let me go, he didn't even put up a fight. It just depends how much he wants to fight you.
"It's Max, he's doing a good job, he can do whatever he wants."
Norris also insisted he didn't regret his racing against Verstappen and that he still had a positive weekend, particularly after a Saudi Arabian GP where he crashed in qualifying.
"There's a gap, I've got to go for it. I'm not going to back out, I'm here to race.
"It's still going to be a very good weekend. I'm still not in the happiest place and I've got to be there against the best. I'll keep chipping away, but it's been a positive weekend. I'm still happy. There's always next time."