The way Max Verstappen did his 360 at the Miami Grand Prix has split opinion between Formula 1 pundits Martin Brundle and Juan Pablo Montoya.<\/p>\n
On one side, there is the argument that Verstappen<\/a> performed a \u201cgenius\u201d move to minimise the damage from his Lap 1 spin. On the other side of the fence, it is being called \u201cpure luck\u201d for Verstappen.<\/p>\n Martin Brundle and Juan Pablo Montoya disagree on Max Verstappen\u2019s spin<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Miami GP polesitter Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc and Verstappen battled for the lead into Turn 1.<\/p>\n Leclerc flew around the outside into T1, Antonelli locked up and found the run-off, while Verstappen mounted the kerb and spun.<\/p>\n Verstappen was able to execute a picturesque 360-degree spin, leaving him pointing in the right direction. He was still in the top 10 at the end of the first lap.<\/p>\n In the opinion of Sky F1\u2019s Martin Brundle, that was all skill from the four-time world champion.<\/p>\n \u201cPinched to the Turn 2 apex by Leclerc, Verstappen was too eager on the throttle and looped around, an unusual mistake for him for which he would hurriedly apologise to the team on the radio, before that we saw some of his genius in the recovery,\u201d Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports Miami GP column<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn front of the whole pack except Leclerc, he deftly used the throttle, brakes, and steering wheel to execute a full 360-degree turn, pointing nicely down the racetrack and somehow maintaining some forward speed.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how hard that is in these plus-sized F1 cars full of fuel in the heat of battle.<\/p>\n \u201cThis dramatically minimised the chances of being run into and kept him in ninth place at the end of the lap.\u201d<\/p>\n Brundle\u2019s view is not shared by seven-time grand prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya.<\/p>\n Appearing on the BBC Chequered Flag podcast, Montoya suggested that there was no skill involved at all from Verstappen.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, everybody was saying Max was unbelievable, how he controlled his spin \u2013 I think that was pure luck,\u201d claimed Montoya. \u201cBut I don\u2019t have anything against Max, excuse me.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Max Verstappen from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n The unseen Max Verstappen trick that has already stunned a Nurburgring legend<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Off\u2019 Max Verstappen footage sparks demand for more \u2018respect\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Having pitted behind an early safety car, Verstappen led the Miami Grand Prix for a time, but soon found himself under attack from Antonelli and Lando Norris. The pair came through, despite valiant Verstappen defence.<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri, Leclerc and George Russell also passed Verstappen in the closing stages. Again, Verstappen looked to stand his ground, which included contact with Russell at Turn 1, resulting in front wing damage for Russell.<\/p>\n The stewards had a look, but decided no further action was required.<\/p>\n Norris claimed that Verstappen \u201cruined his own race\u201d<\/a> by defending how he did on older tyres. Montoya was singing from a similar hymn sheet.<\/p>\n \u201cHe 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, you know once the guy gets you, the best way not to get passed by more and more people is stop fighting, and just get in line,\u201d said Montoya.<\/p>\n \u201cHe kept fighting and bringing more people over. I was like, \u2018Why are you hurting yourself?’\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen would score a P5 result in Miami, his and Red Bull\u2019s best result of F1 2026 so far.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n