Damon Hill has thrown his support behind Lando Norris' criticism of Max Verstappen's aggressive driving at the Miami Grand Prix, accusing the Red Bull star of wasting precious energy in unwinnable battles.

Verstappen's weekend started with promise as he lined up on the front row, but it quickly unraveled after a spin at Turn 1 dropped him into the midfield. An early pit stop under safety car conditions left him out of sync with the rest of the field, forcing him to fight his way back through the pack.

Though he briefly took the lead when others pitted, Verstappen's older hard tyres proved no match for fresher rubber. He ultimately crossed the line in sixth place, overtaken by Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell.

The Dutchman put up a spirited defense despite struggling for grip, engaging in a series of close battles. But former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, speaking on the Chequered Flag podcast, questioned whether that grit was costing him more than it was gaining.

"He raced hard, and I appreciate the way he raced hard, but I think at the end of the race, the way he was racing people when he was trying to defend position… once the guy gets you, the best way not to get passed by more people is stop fighting and just get in line," Montoya said.

"He kept fighting and bringing more people over. I was like: 'Why are you fighting yourself?'"

Damon Hill, the 1996 World Champion, agreed wholeheartedly. "He does let people know that he's prepared to fight every inch," Hill said. "Sometimes, you do think: 'You're wasting your energy, it's not smart.'"

Norris, watching race highlights in the cooldown room, echoed those sentiments, remarking that Verstappen was "ruining his own race" by engaging in battles he was unlikely to win.

Verstappen also came under fire from former teammate Carlos Sainz, who believed the Red Bull driver was being overly aggressive with midfield drivers during his climb back through the field. When asked about Sainz's remarks after the race, Verstappen responded via AS: "It's a jungle in the midfield, I don't have much more to say."

Despite the criticism, there were some positive takeaways for Verstappen. He picked up 14 points in Miami, surpassing his previous tally and keeping him in the championship hunt—even if his driving style continues to divide opinion in the paddock.