Lando Norris wins Dutch GP to end Max Verstappen's dominance in home race

McLaren driver cuts reigning champion's lead in title battle to 70 points

McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates after winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday, August 25. AP

McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates on the podium after winning the Dutch Grand Prix alongside second-placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull and third-placed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Reuters

McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates on the podium. Reuters

Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren celebrates. Getty Images

McLaren's Lando Norris, left, is congratulated by Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix. AFP

McLaren's Lando Norris wins the race. EPA

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 25: Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 25, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images)

Fans of home favcourite Max Verstappen at Circuit Zandvoort. Getty Images

Max Verstappen on his way to second place for Red Bull. EPA

Charles Leclerc earned Ferrari a third-place finish. Getty Images

Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen in the Dutch driver’s backyard to ignite his hopes of winning the Formula One world championship.

Norris might have feared the worst after he allowed Verstappen to blast ahead of him following another poor start for the Briton in Zandvoort.

But the McLaren driver silenced 105,000 orange-clad fans when he slipstreamed his way back past their hero on lap 18 of 72 before delivering an emphatic win to cross the line 22.8 seconds clear of Verstappen.

Norris’ triumph marked just the second of his career – arriving 112 days after his maiden victory in Miami – to reduce the championship deficit from 78 points to 70 with nine rounds remaining and 258 points still to play for.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third, one place ahead of Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri. George Russell finished seventh, while Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton drove through the field from 14th to eighth.

Red Bull's struggling second driver Sergio Perez finished in sixth position, meaning the gap in the constructors' championship also narrowed from 42 points to 30.

“It feels amazing,” said Norris. “I wouldn’t say a perfect race because of lap one again but afterwards it was beautiful. The pace was very strong, the car was unbelievably today.

“I could get comfortable, I could push and get past Max which was the main thing, and just go from there. Honestly quite a straightforward race, still tough but very enjoyable.

“From early on, lap five, six, seven I expected Max to start pushing and getting a bit of a gap, but he never did so from that point I knew we were in a really good fight but he seemed to keep dropping off and my pace was getting better,” added Norris.

“It’s a nice feeling, especially when I got past. I could just get comfortable, I could push, I had clean air and that’s always a big help.”

It was the first time since the race returned to the calendar in 2021 that Verstappen had not triumphed at Zandvoort and extended his losing streak this season to five races.

He has cut a strangely disconsolate figure throughout his visit home, at times as gloomy as the Dutch weather that blighted practice and qualifying.

While the other drivers returned from a summer break full of tales of meeting with friends or going to Taylor Swift concerts, Verstappen seemed significantly less joyous.

“You always hope to do better. We had a good start and tried everything we could but it was clear we were not quick enough so I tried to be second today,” said Verstappen, who is looking to make it four world titles in a row.

“I know that we have good starts, so I was quite confident of having another one, and luckily, I did that. I just tried to do my own race and that was my race – I was second today.”

Leclerc was “very surprised” with his third-place after what he admitted had been a tough for days for Ferrari.

“I’m not very often happy with a P3 but with today’s race we can be extremely happy with what we’ve done on a difficult weekend for the team,” said the Monegasque.

“We’ve been struggling from Friday and in the race we found some more pace and executed a perfect strategy.

“At the start of the race I knew it was a real opportunity and know that later on we also had the pace, but the first lap was an opportunity for us to gain one or two positions.

“I went for the pass and it all worked well and never would I have thought I would stand on the podium after such a difficult weekend for the team.”

“At the start of the race I knew it was a real opportunity and know that later on we also had the pace, but the first lap was an opportunity for us to gain one or two positions.

“I went for the pass and it all worked well and never would I have thought I would stand on the podium after such a difficult weekend for the team.”