Formula one is back with Lando Norris didn’t just win the Dutch Grand Prix; he destroyed Max Verstappen’s dominance in his backyard, ripping the victory from the hometown hero and snapping Red Bull’s stranglehold on the season. This wasn’t just a race but a glimpse of what is to come. Despite a sluggish start, Norris dialled in as he hunted down Verstappen, retaking the lead on lap 18 and then obliterating the competition.
McLaren came to Zandvoort with upgrades that seemed to turn their car into a rocket on the track. Verstappen, usually untouchable, was left in the dust! Unable to match McLaren’s raw pace. McLaren didn’t just beat Red Bull; they showed Red Bull that their days of dominance were coming to a very abrupt end, pulling away with ease and leaving the Red Bull ace trailing by over 20 seconds at the finish line.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc left his mark by climbing from sixth to third, salvaging some pride for the Scuderia. But the real story was the dominance of McLaren, with Oscar Piastri backing up Norris’s win by securing fourth. Carlos Sainz kept Ferrari in the fight with a solid fifth-place finish, but it was clear that McLaren had leapfrogged them in the pecking order.
Sergio Pérez’s sixth-place finish is a glaring sign of Red Bull’s troubles. The Mexican was initially a threat to others and a shield to Max, nowhere near the front, showing just how far off the mark Red Bull was. With Perez rumoured to be out of a seat next year despite the contract extension, it is clear that Red Bull needs a rabbit out of the hat and needs one now!
Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton followed in seventh and eighth, but their quiet race highlighted how far they’ve fallen from the sharp end of the grid. Meanwhile, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso scraped into the points in ninth and tenth.
McLaren is now within striking distance, just 30 points behind Red Bull. The constructors’ title isn’t just up for grabs; it’s McLaren’s to take — maybe, just maybe. But they need to tighten up those starts and keep their momentum rolling across all circuits.
As for the drivers’ championship, Verstappen is still ahead, but that 70-point lead isn’t the fortress it once was. Norris has shown he can beat Verstappen when the stars align, and if Max has even one major slip-up, this could turn into a real fight. The gap could shrink in a heartbeat, and suddenly, Verstappen’s championship might not look so secure.
Norris’s victory at Zandvoort was a warning shot. Red Bull isn’t invincible, and McLaren is here to take over. This season just got a whole lot more interesting, and if McLaren can keep the pressure on, they might just rewrite the script on what seemed like an editorial scrap in Formula One 2024
