Lando Norris overcame a poor start to win the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday and become the first driver to beat Max Verstappen at the champion’s home race, as well as taking another bite out of Verstappen’s standings lead.
Norris started on pole position but was slow off the line, allowing Red Bull driver Verstappen into the lead.
Norris closed the gap and overtook Verstappen into the opening corner on the 18th lap of 72 and was then on course for his second career win and the McLaren team’s third of the year.
Verstappen finished second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third after holding off Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen is without a win in five races, his longest winless run since 2020, and loses his record as the only driver to win at the Dutch Grand Prix since it returned to the F1 schedule in 2021. Norris is the first McLaren driver to win in the Netherlands since Niki Lauda in 1985.
Norris immediately lost the lead to Verstappen off the line, continuing his streak of not leading the first lap when having started from pole to six occasions – each time he has headed the field at a race start.
Meanwhile, team-mate Piastri also fell back, with George Russell moving up into third whilst the other Mercedes started to move through the pack on the soft red-walled Pirellis.
Verstappen was quickly out of DRS range as the Dutchman settled into his home grand prix.
Further back, Leclerc and Sergio Perez slowly eeked away from the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
With five laps of the 72-lap race gone, Russell was starting to back Piastri up into the Ferrari and Red Bull behind. Ahead of him, Norris enjoyed a comfortable two-second advantage.
As the top 10 eased into a comfortable pace, at the back of the field Kevin Magnussen ran wide at Turn 1 but was able to keep going after finding the escape road.
The only mover in the top group was Carlos Sainz, who dispatched of Alonso, setting after Gasly in seventh. Two laps later, on lap 11, the Ferrari driver succeeded.
The first stopper was the Williams of Alexander Albon, who came in on lap 13 for hard tyres.
By this point, Norris had reeled Verstappen back in, to within a second. The three-time world champion was on the radio to complain about his RB20 not turning at Turn 10.
Further back, Lewis Hamilton was into the top 10, displacing Lance Stroll. The other Aston Martin would be next for the British driver, who lifted himself to ninth on lap 16.
By Agencies
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
