Verstappen finishes second behind Norris in Dutch Grand Prix

Max Verstappen’s three-year reign as Dutch Grand Prix champion came to an end as he was unable to keep up with Lando Norris in his 200th Formula One race.

Verstappen overtook Norris at the first corner at Zandvoort to take pole position, but his Red Bull was unable to shake off the McLaren and Norris passed on lap 18 to retake the lead.

Nine laps later, when the Dutch driver pitted for fresh tyres, he was nearly six seconds behind, and from then on he was unable to mount a serious challenge, eventually trailing Norris by nearly 23 seconds.

Charles Leclerc started from sixth place and managed to beat Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri to take third place with 27 laps left.

Norris also received a bonus point for fastest lap in the final round, reducing Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ standings to 70 points.

The Dutch driver remains the clear favourite to win a fourth consecutive world title but has now gone five races without a win. It was also the first time another driver has won the race since Formula 1 returned to Zandvoort in 2021.

Two Orange Armies

More than 300,000 fans flocked to the seaside circuit during the Grand Prix, but it was the orange jerseys of the McLaren team that ultimately won over the large crowds of Dutch supporters.

Verstappen admitted his team could not cope with Norris’ pace and complained about the car’s unresponsiveness during the race.

“We had a good start so we tried everything we could today, but throughout the race it was clear we weren’t fast enough so I pushed hard for second place today,” he said.

Norris said he realised the track conditions were in his car’s favour even before he passed Verstappen.

“I thought Max would start to push and pull away a little bit, but he didn’t, so from that moment on I knew we had a close battle,” he said. “He seemed to be falling behind and I was getting faster and faster. Especially when I passed him, I felt comfortable, I could push and I had clean air, which always helps a lot.”

The next Grand Prix will be held in Monza, Italy next weekend.