Lando Norris just can’t seem to get his starts right. For once, it didn’t stop him beating Max Verstappen.
Norris started on pole position but was slow off the line — a persistent problem for him — allowing Red Bull driver Verstappen to jump ahead.
Norris closed the gap and overtook Verstappen into the opening corner on the 18th lap of 72 and was then on course for his second career win and the McLaren team’s third of the year.
“After getting done into turn one and off the line, I was actually surprisingly calm,” Norris said. “Maybe because I’m a bit used to going backwards at the start, I’m very prepared for those kinds of scenarios. I was very calm and just ‘OK, well what can I do now?’”
Verstappen was beaten at his home race for the first time and saw his lead over Norris cut from 78 points to 70 with nine races remaining.
It was Norris’ fourth career pole position, but the first time he won after starting on pole. Verstappen pulled away but Norris reeled him back in as Verstappen started to complain his tires lacked grip. Norris finally took the lead back down the inside of the banked “Tarzan” turn. After that, Norris methodically stretched his lead to nearly 23 seconds at the flag, building a gap in case of a safety-car restart which never came.
After losing the lead at the start, “I expected Max to start pushing and get a bit of a gap but he never did,” Norris said.
“So from that point I knew we were in with a good fight. But he seemed to just keep dropping off and my pace was getting better. It’s a nice feeling inside the car and especially when I got past, I could just get comfortable.”
Norris had defended himself as “still up there” with the best starters in F1 on Saturday. After taking the win Sunday, he suggested there might be an “underlying issue” causing wheelspin on the otherwise dominant McLaren car, given that teammate Oscar Piastri also lost a place at the start.
In every other phase of the race, it was clear that Norris and McLaren had the fastest car following McLaren’s latest upgrades. That points to what could be an increasingly competitive title fight with Verstappen in the last nine races of the season after the Dutch driver was far ahead of the rest in 2022 and 2023.
Verstappen finished second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third after holding off Piastri.
Norris is the first McLaren driver to win in the Netherlands since Niki Lauda in 1985, and Verstappen is without a win in five races, his longest winless run since 2020.
“I think it was quite clear that we’re not quick enough, so I tried to be second today,” Verstappen said.
He suggested that “something has been going on lately with the car” that Red Bull needs to figure out to combat twin problems of a lack of pace and higher-than-expected tire wear.
Carlos Sainz Jr. was fifth for Ferrari and Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was sixth, ahead of the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
In a sign of how badly Perez has struggled in recent races, sixth place was his best finish since fourth at the Miami Grand Prix in May.
In the first race since Hamilton inherited the win at the Belgian Grand Prix after Russell was disqualified for an underweight car, the two Mercedes drivers again had contrasting days.
Russell briefly took third place off Piastri at the start before gradually dropping back to seventh, while Hamilton started 14th after a grid penalty but rose six places.
Pierre Gasly was ninth for Alpine and Fernando Alonso 10th in an Aston Martin.
McLaren cut the gap to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship to 30 points as the team chases its first title since 1998.
Norris' Dominant Drive: The McLaren Advantage
The Dutch Grand Prix witnessed a remarkable display of dominance from Lando Norris, who led the race from lap 18 to the finish line, ultimately securing victory by a resounding 22.896 seconds. This victory not only marked Norris's second Formula One win, but it also highlighted a significant shift in the power dynamics within the sport.
Norris's triumph was a testament to McLaren's remarkable progress in recent races. The team's strategic development and upgrade program have yielded tangible results, with Norris consistently putting in strong performances and challenging for podium finishes. His dominant victory at Zandvoort solidified McLaren's emergence as a genuine contender, posing a significant threat to Red Bull's supremacy.
Verstappen's Struggles: A Red Bull Crisis?
Max Verstappen's defeat at his home race, coupled with a prolonged winless streak, raises concerns about the performance of the reigning champion's Red Bull team. While Verstappen acknowledged that Red Bull's performance was not up to par, he attributed it to unspecified issues with the car's setup. The team is now facing the daunting task of identifying and resolving these issues, especially considering the rapidly closing gap to McLaren in both the drivers' and constructors' championships.
Title Fight Heats Up: A New Era in Formula One?
The Dutch Grand Prix was a clear indication that the Formula One championship battle is far from over. With nine races remaining, the title fight promises to be intense and unpredictable. McLaren's resurgence, coupled with Red Bull's unexpected struggles, has injected a much-needed dose of excitement and uncertainty into the season. It remains to be seen whether McLaren can sustain this level of performance, but one thing is certain: Formula One fans are in for a thrilling and unpredictable conclusion to the 2024 season.
The Road Ahead: Monza and Beyond
The Formula One circus now moves to the legendary Monza track in Italy, where the Italian Grand Prix will take place next weekend. As the championship battle intensifies, the race at Monza will be crucial for both Verstappen and Norris as they look to gain a crucial advantage. The unpredictable nature of the championship race makes it an exciting time for fans, who can expect more thrilling battles, unpredictable twists, and potential shifts in power throughout the remainder of the season.
