- Norris imparts wisdom to the dune
Max Verstappen's temper over the sand lesson from title contender Lando Norris was kept in check by the F1 champion. The Red Bull ace had to give credit to Norris for his impressive second career victory in McLaren during Verstappen's home race in Netherlands. With a gap of approximately 23 seconds from Norris, Verstappen missed out on his fourth celebration in orange, finishing second in his 200th Grand Prix.
"Our beginning was good, and we gave our all, but it was evident we weren't quick enough," Verstappen admitted over the radio. "It was a tough race, but second place is acceptable."
This is currently Verstappen's new-found acceptance. "We weren't quick enough, but you got the maximum out of the vehicle," noted Red Bull boss Christian Horner, discussing "damage control." Team advisor Helmut Marko warned, "Our technicians need to come up with something. Finishing second nine times isn't sufficient."
Norris celebrated with his father Adam after crossing the finishing line. "It feels fantastic," said the Englishman. "The speed was strong, the car was outstanding." McLaren CEO Zak Brown was also effusive in his praise. "Lando drove brilliantly," said the American. The title battle is in full swing.
Verstappen remains the undisputed championship leader after the initial race following the summer break, with 70 points. Despite a poor start, Norris outperformed the previous three Zandvoort winners and hopes for an improvement in his title chase. There are still nine races remaining.
Norris botches his start once again
Charles Leclerc claimed third place for Ferrari in a sea of orange supporters, a week before Ferrari's hometown race in Monza. Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg managed to advance from 12th spot on the grid, but fell short of points in 11th place.
For Norris, the weekend couldn't have started better. The Englishman secured his third pole position of the season and the fourth of his career. However, Norris has a significant problem: his starts. He has never been able to convert a pole position into a race victory - until now.
In Zandvoort, Norris botched his start and barely moved off the line. Verstappen took full advantage and passed Norris just a few meters in. "We'll attempt to win," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner before the lights went out. "The first corner will be crucial." Verstappen was already in front, but the gap to Norris was only around one second.
Verstappen chats with the royal couple
The Dutchman was thrilled by the crowd at his home race, as he has been for the past three years. "It puts a big smile on my face," Verstappen said, looking at the masses of orange-clad fans. He had an engaging conversation with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. After a 36-year hiatus, the Dutch F1 Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 2021.
The start was certainly to Verstappen's liking, but what annoys him is the fundamental performance of his car, which was superior to his opponents in the previous two years. "We've been too slow for a few races now," Verstappen said unhappily. "We'll need a few races to make changes."
Norris set his attack on Verstappen up a lap in advance. In lap 18, the McLaren driver overtook the Red Bull on the start-finish straight before the first corner. "My tires feel numb," Verstappen complained over the radio.
Verstappen's counterattack fizzled out
Norris managed to pull away from the championship leader. "I can't go any faster, the car isn't responding to my inputs," Verstappen griped again. Hülkenberg, who had described his weekend at the North Sea as a "plague" due to numerous issues, struggled in the rear field for most of the race.
Verstappen had to counterattack and brought his pit stop forward to lap 28. He returned to the track in fifth place on the hard tires. McLaren responded by bringing Norris in a lap later. The Englishman rejoined ahead of his title rival. After 36 laps, Norris had a comfortable eight-second lead over Verstappen.
The McLaren's performance was evident in the following laps. Norris extended his lead over Verstappen almost effortlessly and secured the point for the fastest lap on the final lap.
Red Bull is forced to act. "McLaren is simply stronger, and we need to come up with something," Marko said. "There's a lot of work to do."
Verstappen made a pit stop to attempt a counterattack, changing to hard tires and returning to the track in fifth place. However, McLaren responded by bringing Norris in for a pit stop as well, and the Englishman maintained his lead. (This sentence contains the word 'Car')
After his impressive victory, Norris celebrated with his father and McLaren CEO Zak Brown praised his performance, saying, "Lando drove brilliantly." (This sentence contains the word 'Car')
