McLaren driver Lando Norris charged to a statement victory during the 2024 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, overhauling Max Verstappen after his Red Bull rival moved ahead at the start – and denying the Dutchman what would have been a fourth-straight home triumph.
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Norris lined up on pole position for Sunday’s race, but his hopes of converting it into the win took a hit when Verstappen jumped him off the line and slotted ahead at the first corner before moving clear and breaking free of the DRS window.
However, Norris gathered himself to mount a fight back as the race developed, finding another level of pace – while Verstappen battled a mid-stint lack of grip – to close back in on the three-time world champion and reclaim a lead he would not relinquish.
Norris only extended his advantage before and after the front-runners’ sole pit stops of the day. He eventually took the chequered flag some 20 seconds clear of Verstappen to add to his Miami win from earlier this season and cut the latter’s championship lead.
Charles Leclerc delivered a similarly impressive drive, climbing from sixth to third to salvage a podium on what has been a challenging weekend for Ferrari, with Oscar Piastri having to settle for fourth in the other McLaren after extending his opening stint and losing track position as a result.
Ferrari’s points tally was boosted by Carlos Sainz’s own rise to fifth, ahead of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull and the Mercedes machines of George Russell and midfield starter Lewis Hamilton – the teammates opting for late second stops to bolt on soft tyres and bid for the fastest lap.
Ninth-placed Pierre Gasly gave Alpine something to celebrate on Oliver Oakes’s first weekend as their new team boss, while Fernando Alonso grabbed the final point on offer for Aston Martin by getting the better of Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg in the closing stages.
Lance Stroll was the 12th driver to cross the line in his Aston but fell back to 13th, behind RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, after being found guilty of speeding in the pit lane and getting slapped with a five-second time penalty by the stewards.
Alex Albon fought valiantly from the back of the grid after his exclusion from a P8 result in qualifying over Williams’s illegal floor upgrade, but…
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