Norris fends off Verstappen to win Dutch GP

Lando Norris had an amazing race day after regaining the lead he lost to Max Verstappen early in the race to win the Dutch Grand Prix. Norris, who started the race at pole position, saw his lead slip away from him after Verstappen passed him almost as soon as the race started. 

It was around lap 18 that  Norris, with the help of DRS, zoomed past Verstappen and maintained the lead until the end of the race, finishing with a 22-second lead. Charles Leclerc denied McLaren the chance of having their two drivers on the podium as he held off Oscar Piastri to finish third. 

The Dutch GP victory meant so much for Norris, who has been under criticism recently for failing to convert lead positions into wins. The problem has always been in his inability to start properly, which also happened at the Dutch GP until he recovered his lost position. 

The day could not have fared better for Norris, who also won extra points for fastest lap. He had now cut Verstappen’s lead down to 70 points, which still seems much, but there’s not much certainty that the Dutchman could win his fourth world championship title this year. 

McLaren’s performance also puts them just 30 points behind Red Bull in the constructor’s standings, and with nine races left for the season, things could swing favorably for McLaren. 

Speaking after the race, Norris described the victory as amazing. He said: “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.”

Verstappen commented on the start of the race and how he thought it was going to be another win for Red Bull: “We had a good start, so we tried everything we could, but throughout the race, it was quite clear we were not quick enough, so I tried to be second. I know we have good starts and I was quite confident we would have another one. That was my race.”