Dutch Grand Prix: Norris humbles Verstappen, breaks hearts at Zandvoort
F1 NewsSunday, 25 August 2024 at 20:30
Lando Norris delivered a masterclass performance at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, securing his second Formula 1 career victory and ending Max Verstappen's unbeaten streak at Zandvoort.
Norris humbles Verstappen breaks hearts at Zandvoort is a headline that may be seen as a taunt to Max fanboys, it should read: "Dutch Grand Prix: Norris and McLaren humble Verstappen and Red Bull breaking hearts at Zandvoort." More accurate but that's too long!
Despite fluffing the start (his Achilles heel) that saw him drop to second behind a rapid starting Verstappen, Norris's composure and the superior pace of his McLaren allowed him to reclaim the lead and ultimately dominate the race.
From the outset, it was clear that McLaren had brought the best car in this field to Zandvoort. Norris's pole position lap was an impressive three-tenths quicker than Verstappen's best effort and a full half-second ahead of his teammate, Oscar Piastri, who started from P3.
The start proved to not be crucial
This pace advantage was crucial, especially considering Norris's well-documented struggles with race starts. Prior to this race, Norris had secured pole position five times but had never converted any of those into a win.
At the start, Norris fluffed the getaway (as expected!), dropping behind Verstappen as the Red Bull driver made a flying start. However, Norris remained composed, keeping the gap to Verstappen at around 1.4 seconds. By lap 18, McLaren's superior pace was on full display as Norris cruised past Verstappen on the main straight with a (thankfully) clean and decisive move.
From there, he began pulling away at nearly half a second per lap, putting himself in prime position to finally convert a pole into a win by a massive 22 seconds.
Verstappen and Red Bull attempted an undercut ten laps later, but McLaren was quick to respond. Norris pitted shortly after Verstappen, emerging ahead and solidifying his lead. Piastri, who had a longer first stint, briefly led the race until lap 34 when he handed the lead back to Norris. By the halfway point, Verstappen was trailing by 7.5 seconds, and the gap to the McLaren only continued to grow.
Victory at Zandvoort was a significant statement from Norris and McLaren
Not only did it break Verstappen's streak of home victories, having won all three previous races since the circuit returned to the F1 calendar, but it also signalled that the championship fight is far from over.
Verstappen, who has dominated the season, still leads the 2024 F1 championship, but Norris's performance this weekend was a clear reminder that McLaren is a formidable force and could challenge Red Bull all the way to the season's end.
Afterwards in Parc Ferme, The triple F1 World Champion summed up his race: "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. I tried to be second today. I tried to do my own race."
The chasers - McLaren - made the most serious inroads to Verstappen and Red Bull leads in the two F1 title races, even with Sergio Perez's mini resurgence, Piastri and Norris are proving to be the better combo.
For Verstappen, finishing second was still a valuable result in terms of the championship. With the title in mind, he probably focused on securing the points rather than risking it all in a futile defence against the faster McLaren. However, with Norris now doubling his GP win tally to two, the championship battle has taken on a new level of intensity.
It's nine more rounds of Norris versus Verstappen
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Norris and McLaren to see if they can maintain this momentum. For now, though, the Zandvoort crowd witnessed the end of one tradition - Verstappen's dominance on home soil - a day in which Norris took a step closer to being a serious title contender.
Taking the fastest lap with a risky effort late in the race, snatching the point from Lewis hamilton who set it on fresh Softs. McLaren - Mercedes customers - made a huge statement on several fronts!
Charles Leclerc salvaged Ferrari's pride, finishing P3 from P6 against the odds. He did well to fend off a feisty attack by Oscar Piastri late in the race. But the Red car held out for his back-to-back podium.
Leclerc said of the result: "Very surprised! I'm not very often happy with P3 but with today's race we can be extremely happy with the job we have done on a difficult weekend for the team. I never thought I would stand on the podium after such a difficult weekend for the team."
Of his second and, for now, most famous Grand Prix victory Norris said of his effort: "It feels amazing. I wouldn't say a perfect race because of lap one again, but it was still beautiful. The pace was strong, the car was unbelievable. I could push and get past Max. It was a straightforward race. Tough but enjoyable."
The win means Norris remains P2 in the 2024 F1 Drivers' standings after 15 Rounds (nine to go) the gap is now down to 70 points on leader Verstappen. In the F1 Constructors' standings, Red Bull's lead over McLaren is down to 30 points.
Piastri would be disappointed with P4 and not a podium
Off the podium, Piastri would've wanted better considering the car he had. But he lagged in Qualy relative to his winning teammate, and again in the race, P3 became P4.
Carlos Sainz was P5, on a good afternoon of damage limitation for Ferrari. Handy timing too as next up at the forthcoming Italian Grand Prix there will be no place to hide for them at Monza. Expect upgrades to keep the momentum going.
Perez was better than normal but still not good enough despite his P6, albeit 15.0s down on his teammate. But at least he finished and limited damage to Red Bull in the Constructors' battle. It could have been worse had his pre-summer-break form been around at Zandy.
P7 and P8 for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton equals a humiliating day for Mercedes, considering that prior to Holland they had won three of the four preceding races. Made hard to swallow (aka humiliating) is that they were so massively trounced by their PU-customers McLaren.
Two of the hardest grafters on the grid, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso granted the final pits for P9 and P10 respectively, making the most of their sh!tboxes while their teammates were nowhere to be seen.
Zak Brown: Lando drove perfectly and the team did a great job
Beaming and bear-hugging, McLaren CEO Zak Brown gets the final word: "It was pretty awesome. Lando drove perfectly and the team did a great job. It was a big win, the fastest lap as well, so we will celebrate tonight and get ready for Monza.
"We knew we were fast all weekend, so I am not shocked at the size of the gap, just pleasantly surprised. Lando definitely controlled the race.
"The upgrades clearly worked but we need to keep our feet on the ground with how competitive Formula 1 is and not assume that is going to be repeated every weekend.
"We clearly have a fast car and have some fun stuff coming for Monza, so I think we will be ready. But I think Red Bull will be quick there," predicted Brown.
2024 Dutch Grand Prix Result
Dutch Grand Prix as it happened
Magnussen was set to start in P13 but everyone moves up a spot behind him as Haas opt to start their driver from the pit lane.
16 cars on Mediums, with Tsunoda (P11), Hamilton (P14) and Bottas (P16) on Softs. Magnussen on Hards.
Poor start from Norris, Verstappen eases ahead and gaps it immediately. Russell was up to P3 followed by Piastri, Leclerc, Perez, Gasly, Alonso, Sainz and Stroll making up the Top 10 at the end of Lap 1. Behind the top two, drivers scrapped across the field.
Lap 4. Verstappen's fastest laps, 1.4s ahead of Norris and keeping him out of DRS range. Hamilton P14 to P12. No big movers as the race enters early stalemate, F1 cars snaking over the Zandvoort dunes in high-speed formation.
Lap 6. Piastri is stalking Russell and wants P3 back. Aap later Magnussen goes off-track, rejoins losing time.
Lap 9. Sainz overtakes Alonso around Turn 1 to take P7.
Lap 10. Verstappen has lewad pegged over Norris to 1.4s. The pair nearly five seconds ahead of Russell in P3 with Piastri chasing and Leclerc in his DRS. With Perez watching from P6. Hamilton into Pll overtaking Hulkenberg.
Lap 11. Sainz takes Gasly. Norris 1.2s down on Verstappen but closing.
Lap 14. Hamilton on the move takes P10 from Stroll.
Lap 15. Norris in edging into DRS-range of Verstappen. A game of chess the race has become for the win. P3, Russell 4.0s down and dropping on the top two. Followed by Piastri and Leclerc dicing fpr P4.
Lap 17. Norris attacks Verstappen into Turn 1. Game on at the front! Hamilton gest past Alonso to take P9. Notably pit lane starter Magnussen
Lap 18. Norris eased the lead from Verstappen on the main straight. Clean, Phew! The McLaren flying was at this stage, in P1 again despite the poor start.
Lap 21. Norris pulling away at the front at almost half a second per lap.
Lap 24. Norris leads Verstappen by 4.0s. Hamilton pits for fresh Hards.
Lap 25. Leclerc pits for Hards.
Lap 27. Norris leads Verstappen by 6.0s. Piastri is a further 6.0s back in P3.
Lap 28. Verstappen in the pits for Hards. McLaren 1-2, Norris 12.0s behind his teammate Norris.
Lap 29. McLaren responds pitting Norris as Piastri leads Perez and Sainz, the trio yet to stop.
P31. Still to stop, Piastri leads as Sainz pits from P2 promoting Norris to P2 who popped the fastest lap at this point, 6.0s down on his teammate, and 6.0s up on Verstappen in P3. Gasly in P6 yet to stop.
Lap 33. Gasly in for fresh Hards.
Lap 34. Piastri into the pits for Hards. Only Magnussen yet to stop, still running the original Hards.
Lap 36. The halfway mark in the 34th Dutch Grand Prix: Norris leads Verstappen by 7.5s.
Lap 40. Plenty of action on track. Piastri on fresher rubber takes P4 from Russell. After the dust settles at the wrong end of the midfield, Hamilton emerges P8, Hulkenberg emerges P9 with Gasly P10. Magnussen in the thick of things before he ots for fresh Mediums.
Lap 45. Norris is 11.5s ahead and in control. Verstappen p2, with a six-second gap to Leclerc who is getting caught by Piastri, who is catching at half a second per lap. The long stint paying off for the McLaren driver.
Lap 46. Perez defending P6 from Sainz. Piastri in DRS range of Leclerc.
Lap 47. Sainz takes Perez for P6.
Lap 49. Hamilton pits for second set of Hards.
Lap 51. Hamilton sets the fastest lap in P8. Piastri making hard work of getting by Leclerc for past three laps.
Lap 55. Russell pits again, emerging sith Softs. Stalemate across the field
Lap 60. Piastri leads Verstappen by 16.2s. With Leclerc 6.0s adrift in P3, with Piastri blocked behind the Ferrari at this stage.
Lap 61. Gasly on fresher tyres than Hulkenberg takes P9 from the Haas driver.
Lap 64. Norris in another league controlling the race from nthe front. Alonso swoops around Hulkenberg at Turn 1 to take P10.
Late in the race, there was no movement in the top ten, and a stalemate ensued. That did not stop Norris from taking the fastest lap with a cheeky last-gasp effort to claim a point that could be the difference between winning the title and not winning the title, more so with such slim odds.
2024 Dutch Grand Prix Preview
The stage is set for a thrilling showdown at the 34th running of the Dutch Grand Prix, where two of Formula 1's brightest stars, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, are poised to battle it out for glory.
[Note: This post will be updated with the Dutch Grand Prix race report. Please refresh your browser for the latest version.]
While Verstappen remains comfortably ahead in the 2024 F1 World Championship standings, his dominance has been challenged on his home turf. No one has yet managed to beat Verstappen at Zandvoort since its return to the Formula 1 calendar, making Norris's pole position all the more significant.
Today's race presents Norris with his best opportunity yet to claim his first win from pole position. But doing so in front of Verstappen's loyal fans, who have gathered en masse to witness their hero's potential fourth victory at home, will be no small feat.
What about Piastri and Perez?
Oscar Piastri's third-place finish in qualifying suggests that McLaren has a strong car this weekend, but it was Norris who found that extra half-second, leaving Piastri and others scratching their heads. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez in the Red Bull was closer to teammate Verstappen, finishing only three-tenths slower, underscoring just how tight the competition is at the front.
Despite the fine margins, it seems unlikely that Piastri or Perez will challenge for the top spot on the podium unless Norris and Verstappen encounter significant issues. In terms of strategy, Red Bull has traditionally been the team to beat, rarely making mistakes under pressure.
However, McLaren is a team on the rise. Under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, they appear to be regaining the sharpness that once made them a dominant force in Formula 1.
If they can continue this upward trajectory, their pit wall decisions will become more confident and effective, potentially giving Norris the edge he needs to upset the odds. Experience at the sharp end of F1 is priceless.
Will Zandvoort be painted in the orange of Verstappen or the orange of Norris and McLaren?
While Mercedes has shown strong form recently, winning three of the last four races, and Ferrari continues to struggle, falling further behind the top contenders, all eyes will be on the front row.
But let’s not forget Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin. The experienced Spaniard has a knack for delivering solid results with a capable car, and if conditions are favourable, he could yet surprise us with another strong finish.
In the end, today's Dutch Grand Prix is set to be an epic clash. Whether Norris can dethrone Verstappen on his home soil remains to be seen.
Other Dutch Grand Prix sideshows to look out for:
- What's going down at Ferrari?
- Aston Martin on the up?
- Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz from nowhereland to the podium? Or more pain?
- Yuki Tsunoda vs Daniel Ricciardo
- To higher powers: Please spare Williams another Logan Sargeant mishap and keep the USA lad safe.
Dutch Grand Prix Stats & Facts by Reuters
- Round 15 of the 24-race FIA Formula 1 World Championship
- Lap distance: 4.259km. Total distance: 306.587km (72 laps)
- 2023 pole position: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull One minute 10.567 seconds.
- 2023 race winner: Verstappen, Red Bull
- Race lap record: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:11.097 (2021)
- Start time: 1300GMT (1500 local)
- The race returned to the calendar in 2021 for the first time since 1985.
- Verstappen has won all three races since then from pole position.
- Zandvoort opened in 1948 in the coastal sand dunes, roughly half an hour by train from Amsterdam, and is distinctly "old school" -- a quick and flowing circuit with high-speed changes of direction and much of the lap spent cornering.
- Overtaking can be a challenge, putting an emphasis on qualifying.
- The last two banked corners have an angle steeper than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 235 metre pit lane is the shortest of the season.
- The narrow and twisty track, with 14 corners, is the second shortest on the calendar and the race has only six laps fewer than Monaco. Only 55% of the lap is spent at full throttle.
2024 F1 Standings ahead of Dutch Grand Prix
Victories, Pole Positions and Podiums
- Seven times world champion Hamilton has a record 105 career victories from 346 starts.
- Four teams -- Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes -- have won a race this season, the most since 2021 when Red Bull, Mercedes, Alpine and McLaren won.
- Seven different drivers have triumphed, the most in a single season since 2012 when there were eight.
- Red Bull have gone four races without a win -- Verstappen's longest losing streak since 2020.
- Mercedes have won three of the last four.
- Verstappen has won seven of 14, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz triumphant in Melbourne, Norris in Miami, Leclerc in Monaco, Mercedes's George Russell in Spain and Hamilton in Britain and Belgium and McLaren's Oscar Piastri in Hungary.
- Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren have won with both drivers, unlike Red Bull.
- Red Bull have won 120 races and are fourth in the all-time list of winners. Ferrari lead with 245, McLaren have 185 and Mercedes 128.
- Verstappen has won 61 grands prix and is third on the all-time list. Michael Schumacher is second on 91.
- Hamilton has a record 104 career poles, his most recent in Hungary in July 2023.
- Verstappen has had eight poles so far this year. That includes the first seven of the season, equalling Alain Prost's 1993 record, and eight in a row including the last race of 2023 -- equalling Ayrton Senna's 1988-89 record.
- Leclerc took pole in Monaco and Belgium, Russell was fastest in Canada and Britain. Norris took the top spot in Spain and Hungary.
- Verstappen has 107 career podiums, Hamilton a record 201.
- Verstappen has been on the podium nine times this season, Norris eight, Leclerc six and Sainz five.
Dutch Grand Prix Milestones
- Sunday will be Verstappen's 200th start in Formula One, making him the youngest driver to reach that milestone at 26 years and 330 days.
- Alpine's last podium finish was Pierre Gasly's third place at Zandvoort a year ago.
- New Zealand's Liam Lawson made his F1 debut at Zandvoort last year, standing in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri (RB).
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