August 25, 2024, at the Zandvoort Circuit in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, after winning the F1 Dutch Grand Prix, is a celebratory moment for British driver Lando Norris of McLaren. /CFP
Max Verstappen’s undefeated home record was ended on Sunday by McLaren’s Lando Norris, who gave the championship pursuit fresh life with a dominant win in the Dutch Grand Prix, his second in Formula One.
Three-time world champion Verstappen of Red Bull finished 22.896 seconds behind after taking the lead at the beginning and losing it on the eighteenth of 72 circuits. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finished third after starting sixth.
It was Verstappen’s first loss in Zandvoort since the race was added back to the schedule in 2021, and the once-dominant driver’s losing run this season stretched to five races.
After the 15th of a record 24 races this season, his lead over Norris was reduced to 70 points, while McLaren also reduced Red Bull’s increasingly shaky lead in the constructors’ championship to 30 points.
“It feels incredible. Although lap one happened again, I wouldn’t call the race faultless, it was still lovely in the end. “The car was amazing, and the pace was really good,” remarked Norris, who took home his maiden victory in Miami in May.
“The important thing was that I could push past Max and continue from there. So that was a pretty simple race. Still challenging yet a lot of fun.”
For the fourth time in his career, Norris had gotten the pole position start. It was the first time he had turned the lead into a victory, coming into the race on Sunday on the windy Dutch coast, in front of his rival’s “Orange Army” of supporters.
Verstappen’s go-to word, “Simply gorgeous,” he stated provocatively over the radio.
On August 25, 2024, at the Zandvoort Circuit in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, the F1 Dutch Grand Prix got underway, with Max Verstappen, the home favorite of Red Bull Racing, leading the race. /CFP
The 24-year-old Briton got off to a slow start with wheelspin off the line, and Verstappen moved away easily to lead into turn one. It looked at the beginning like he might have thrown it away once more.
Nevertheless, Norris passed Verstappen down the inside at the “Tarzan” turn one on lap 17 and gradually pulled away, demonstrating that the updated McLaren possessed both the speed and the drag reduction system (DRS) advantage.
Because of how confident McLaren was, Norris’s race engineer assured him that Verstappen wouldn’t try to “undercut” him by pitting first and then using the new tires to gain an advantage.
“I thought Max would start pushing and grab a little lead by lap five, six, or seven, but he never did,” Norris remarked. “I knew we were going to have a good battle after that.”
With a last-minute flourish, Norris also gained a bonus point for fastest lap and was chosen by the audience as Driver of the Day.
This season, McLaren has already won three races, their greatest total since 2012.
You constantly aim to perform better. Verstappen stated, “We did everything and got a good start, but it was obvious we were not quick enough.
Leclerc held off Oscar Piastri of McLaren for 27 laps after the driver had a rough first stint and was overhauled by Mercedes’ George Russell at the start. The guy from Monaco was caught off guard by Ferrari’s encouraging progress ahead of the team’s home event in Italy the following weekend.
“We were having a terrible time yesterday. We were strong today,” he remarked.
“I believe that in addition to analyzing every negative surprise we encounter over a season, we also need to recognize our positive moments. As a team, I don’t think we have the explanation for now,” Leclerc continued.
Piastri, Norris’s teammate, finished fourth ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari (who started eleventh) and Sergio Perez of Red Bull, who completed the top six.
Russell and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes came in seventh and eighth, Pierre Gasly of Alpine came in ninth (and was lapped), and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin secured the last point.
