McLaren’s Lando Norris shattered Max Verstappen’s unbeaten record at home by clinching a decisive victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, marking the second win of his Formula One career and revitalizing the championship race on Sunday.
Red Bull’s reigning three-time champion Verstappen finished 22.896 seconds behind Norris after leading the race from the start, but losing his position on the 18th of 72 laps. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured third place.
This race marked the first time Verstappen had not won at Zandvoort since the venue returned to the calendar in 2021, extending his current winless streak to five races this season. Norris has now narrowed the points gap to 70 after 15 of a record 24 rounds, while McLaren has reduced Red Bull’s lead in the constructors’ championship to 30 points.
“I feel amazing. I wouldn’t say it was a perfect race due to lap one, but overall it was beautiful. The pace was strong and the car performed exceptionally well,” Norris commented, referring to his first win earlier this year in Miami.
Norris, who started from pole for the fourth time in his career, finally converted that advantage into a victory at Zandvoort, despite a slow start that allowed Verstappen to take the lead into the first turn.
Norris demonstrated impressive pace and utilized the drag reduction system effectively. After making a strategic move on lap 17, he overtook Verstappen and steadily pulled away from him.
He also secured an additional point for the fastest lap and was named Driver of the Day by fans.
Verstappen acknowledged his struggles, stating, “You always hope to do better. We had a good start but it was evident we were not quick enough.”
Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri finished fourth, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fifth and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in sixth. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton placed seventh and eighth, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in ninth and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin claiming the final point.