Lando Norris won the 2024 Formula One Dutch Grand Prix from pole position. Max Verstappen, competing in his home race and feeling 'goosebumps' from the support of the orange army, finished second as the RB20 struggled with tyre issues. (More Motorsport News)
Initially, just after the second lap, the Dutchman, cheered on by hundreds of Dutch fans, built a 0.9-second lead over the Briton, setting the fastest lap.
However, on the 17th lap of the 72-lap race, fortunes shifted for Zack Brown's team as Max Verstappen began to struggle, reporting on the radio, "I can't go faster." Lando Norris then took advantage, moving into the lead and maintaining it until the end, just as he had throughout the entire weekend.
For the McLaren star, Lando Norris, the Dutch Grand Prix 2024 marks his second career win. At Circuit Zandvoort, he crossed the finish line 22.8 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, achieving one of the largest winning margins in Formula One history.
"I think from quite early on, actually, from pretty much lap 5-6-7, I expected Max to start pushing and get a bit of a gap, and he never did. So from that point, I knew we're in with a good fight, but he seemed to just keep dropping off. And my pace was getting better," said Norris in the post race interview.
Apart from the Norris vs. Verstappen battle for the win, what captivated fans was the 'Forza Ferrari' performance despite a struggling weekend. Astonishingly, starting from sixth, Charles Leclerc managed to secure a podium finish, while Carlos Sainz, starting from eleventh, recovering the Q2 exit, made it to the top five!
Norris's teammate, Oscar Piastri starting from the third on the grid was in a close fight with Charles Leclerc but couldn’t match his pace. However, the Ferrari ace, during the pitstops executed an undercut on both the Australian and George Russell to make an impressive run.
What went wrong with Mercedes at the Netherlands race, causing George Russell to drop from fourth to seventh, was somewhat offset by Lewis Hamilton's incredible rise from twelfth to eighth. However, Toto Wolff still has plenty to consider and improve with the Silver Arrows, as the team stands fourth in the Constructors' Championship with 266 points (before the Dutch GP).
It was yet another disappointment for Red Bull's second driver, Sergio Perez, who started from P5 but lost a position by the end of the race due to an overtaking manoeuvre by Carlos Sainz.
Nevertheless, next up on the calendar is the Italian Grand Prix, the home race for Ferrari, scheduled for September 1, Sunday, at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Hopes are high for Charles Leclerc to repeat his 2019 Monza magic, while Carlos Sainz adds to the dream of a memorable Ferrari double.
