Lando Norris celebrated a stunning victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of home favorite Max Verstappen, marking his second career win in Formula One.
Norris’s impressive performance relegated Verstappen to his first loss in front of his enthusiastic Dutch fans at the Zandvoort circuit. With this victory, Norris has reduced Verstappen’s lead in the championship standings to 70 points, following his earlier win in Miami in May.
Despite the electrifying atmosphere created by the packed crowd, Verstappen was unable to match the pace of McLaren’s upgraded car, which appears to be emerging as a formidable contender in the sport.
The race began with an essential moment as Norris got off to a slow start, allowing Verstappen to seize the lead to the delight of the home fans. However, by lap 18, Norris had caught up and managed to overtake Verstappen on the outside at turn one, leaving the reigning champion unable to respond effectively.
As the race progressed, Norris steadily increased his lead, reaching over 10 seconds ahead of Verstappen by lap 40, ultimately crossing the finish line with a commanding margin of 22.896 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third, narrowly holding off Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri in a lively contest for the podium.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s second driver Sergio Perez finished sixth, further tightening the gap in the constructors’ championship standings.
The Formula One series is set to continue next weekend at the iconic Monza circuit in Italy, which will be the sixteenth round of the current season, with competitors eager to close in on Verstappen. The Dutch driver has not claimed victory since the Barcelona Grand Prix in June, marking his longest dry spell since 2020, leading to some concerns for the Red Bull team.