Lando Norris claimed victory at the Dutch Grand Prix and stated it was “pretty stupid” to think about winning the world championship—but his impressive win on Max Verstappen’s home turf has certainly raised alarms at Red Bull.
Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko described Norris’ victory as “alarming,” addressing both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships. Despite having a significant 70-point lead, Verstappen has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix five races ago.
Verstappen remarked, “This weekend was just a bad weekend in general. The last few races haven’t been fantastic, so that is a bit alarming. But we know we don’t need to panic; we are trying to improve the situation.”
Norris’ win was among the most dominant of the season, finishing 22.9 seconds ahead of Verstappen, only second to Verstappen’s own 25-second margin in Bahrain at the start of the season.
Although Norris initially struggled at the start—a familiar struggle this season—he quickly caught up to Verstappen, overtook him before the first pit stops, and never looked back. To cap off his performance, he secured the fastest lap on the final lap, gaining an extra point.
This victory allowed him to recover eight points on Verstappen rather than the usual seven, slightly over the 7.8 points he needed per race to close the gap.
Norris remained level-headed about his chances, saying, “I’ve been working hard all year and I’m still 70 points behind Max. It’s pretty stupid to think about anything at the moment.”
McLaren Sees Improvement
Norris acknowledged McLaren’s improvements, stating they had the fastest car since the Miami Grand Prix. He felt the pressure to convert that speed into wins, admitting they should have won the last two or three races.
McLaren’s latest performance upgrades, although not as substantial as previous ones, made a significant difference. Norris took pole position at Zandvoort by 0.356 seconds, the largest margin since Verstappen’s pole in China earlier this season.
Despite having a strong race, McLaren is still grappling with slow starts. Both Norris and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, struggled off the line in this race.
Norris commented, “We know what’s required for a perfect start, but it seems like we misjudged something.”
Looking ahead, Norris and McLaren aim to maintain momentum in the upcoming races, especially with more upgrades planned before the season ends. As the championship narrows, the 70-point gap becomes less daunting, particularly with circuits like Singapore approaching, where Red Bull previously struggled.
Stella’s Outlook
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is optimistic about the future, saying, “In the constructors’ championship, the game was on even before this event. We think the current car configuration might not be enough to be the best at every event, which is why we plan to deliver more upgrades before the end of the season.”
Credit: BBC Sport
