Formula 1: Lando Norris stuns Max Verstappen to clinch victory at Dutch Grand Prix

Aug. 25, 2024, 7:23 p.m.

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McLaren’s Lando Norris stormed to victory at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, a superb drive consigning home favourite Max Verstappen to his first-ever loss in front of his “Orange Army” fans. The British driver claimed his second career chequered flag after winning in Miami in May, closing Verstappen’s lead over him in the world championship to 70 points, with the Dutchman coming second.

Despite the overwhelming support from a packed Zandvoort circuit, Verstappen was unable to fully maximize his Red Bull's potential, struggling to match the pace of a recently enhanced McLaren that is emerging as a serious contender in Formula One.

Advertisement “It feels amazing… The pace was very strong and the car was unbelievable today,” said Norris, who also secured a point for the fastest lap.

The first day back after a break is always a bit of a challenge 😄#F1 #DutchGP @Charles_Leclerc pic.twitter.com/2ORRrMwZiR

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2024 The start was critical. Questions have been asked of the starting ability of Norris, who has three times this season failed to convert pole position into a first lap lead.

Once again, Norris experienced a slow start, allowing Verstappen to overtake him on the outside to the roaring cheers of the crowd, who witnessed their driver establish a 0.9-second lead going into the second lap.

Getting off to a strong start, Verstappen set the fastest lap on the second lap, quickly building a substantial lead over Norris in the McLaren.

Not the outcome Max was hoping for, especially at his home race, but still valuable championship points 👏

Watch all the key moments from Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix 👇#F1 #DutchGP

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2024 Advertisement But the McLaren had been the fastest car in the paddock all race weekend and Norris started slowly but surely eating into Verstappen’s lead.

By lap 17 of 72, Norris was just a fraction of a second behind Verstappen, with the Dutchman reporting over team radio that he was struggling for grip from his tires.

‘I can’t go faster’

Norris overtook Verstappen on the outside of turn one on the next lap, leaving the Dutchman unable to respond and quickly falling behind.

Advertisement “I can’t go faster. The car is not responding to my inputs,” a desperate Verstappen told his engineers as Norris stretched his advantage to more than four seconds.

On lap 25, Verstappen decided he needed a new set of tires. Norris pitted the following lap, with his team taking 0.6 seconds longer than Red Bull for the pit stop.

Despite this, Norris emerged from the pit stops with a five-second lead over his rival and immediately set the fastest lap of the race on his new tires.

By lap 40, Norris had extended the advantage to more than 10 seconds over the three-time champion and just had to stay out of trouble to take the chequered flag. His eventual margin of victory was 22.896 seconds, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc holding off Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to claim the third podium spot after a thrilling battle.

Advertisement Red Bull’s struggling second driver Sergio Perez finished in sixth position, meaning the gap in the constructors’ championship also narrowed from 42 points to 30.

“I wouldn’t say a perfect race because of lap one again, but afterwards it was beautiful,” said Norris. “I expected Max to start pushing and get a bit of a gap. And he never did. So from that point, I knew we were in with a good fight,” added Norris.

“But he seemed to just keep dropping off. And my pace was getting better. So it’s a nice feeling inside the car. And especially when I got past, you know, I could just get comfortable.”

Advertisement The F1 circus now moves on to the famous Monza track in Italy next weekend, round 16 of 24 with everyone snapping at Verstappen’s heels.

Verstappen hasn't won a Grand Prix since Barcelona in June, his longest winless streak since 2020. While it's too early to talk about panic at Red Bull, the Dutch weekend has raised some concerns.

“You always try to do better and we had a good start, we tried everything we could today, but throughout the race it was quite clear that we are not quick enough, so I tried to be second today,” said Verstappen.