Lando Norris achieved his second Formula 1 victory with an impressive performance at the Dutch Grand Prix, overcoming Max Verstappen in the Dutchman’s home race.
Norris initially lost the lead at the start but quickly recovered, overtaking Verstappen and establishing a significant lead to finish the race 22.9 seconds ahead. With the fastest lap included, Norris has cut Verstappen’s championship lead down to 70 points.
“It feels amazing, once again I wouldn’t say a perfect race because of lap 1 again, but after that it was beautiful,” Norris expressed. “The pace was very strong, the car was unbelievable, and I could get comfortable, push, and pass Max.”
Despite concerns that Verstappen would pull ahead, Norris was able to maintain his pace and gradually close in on the Red Bull driver after the first 15 laps. Although Verstappen managed to create a small gap early on, Norris stayed just outside DRS range and began to make his move.
Norris eventually made a successful attempt to pass Verstappen, generating momentum through Turn 14 and overtaking down the inside. Following this, he pulled away from Verstappen, showing a commanding performance reminiscent of Verstappen’s own racing style.
Charles Leclerc finished in third place after successfully managing pressure from Oscar Piastri, who had attempted to undercut him and George Russell during pit stops. Leclerc navigated through traffic effectively after his stop, allowing him to maintain his position against Piastri’s advances.
Piastri had elected to extend his race on hard tires, making up ground on Russell before ultimately finding Leclerc a more challenging opponent.
Carlos Sainz rounded out the top five following his recovery from a difficult qualifying session, executing several strategic overtakes, including one on Sergio Perez. Sainz’s efforts could have placed him higher, but Russell’s late gamble on soft tires did not pay off, costing him crucial track position.
Lewis Hamilton also made a strong recovery to finish eighth despite earlier challenges, including a grid penalty for impeding Perez. Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso secured the final spots in the top ten, with Alonso surpassing Nico Hulkenberg to claim the last point positions.