Formula One’s return from the summer break did not disappoint at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday as Lando Norris rallied from a poor start to beat Max Verstappen and spoil the Red Bull driver’s homecoming.
Norris, who outqualified the field by more than three-tenths of a second Saturday, came off the line slowly to begin Sunday’s race, allowing Verstappen to take the lead on the opening turn. However, the McLaren driver stayed calm, trusting in his noticeably superior car, and passed his rival on Lap 18. He never looked back, winning by more than 22 seconds over Verstappen. Charles Leclerc, climbing up from sixth, finished in third for a second straight race to round out the podium.
Norris makes his move, takes the lead... and never looked back 💪#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/8eQNr2fRhJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2024
Here’s what to know from the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix:
Lando Norris Finally Conquers Starting Line Woes
The start of Sunday’s race seemed to follow a familiar script, one that hasn’t been favorable for Norris this season: qualify on pole (the best starting position), struggle to get off the line, drop a position (or two), finish on the podium but miss out on the win.
The Norris that lined up for the Dutch Grand Prix was determined not to let history repeat itself.
Norris did still lose the starting advantage that he earned Saturday, making it the sixth time this season that he did not lead at the end of the opening lap after starting on pole. However, he didn’t panic and comfortably worked his way back up to Verstappen, eventually passing him on Lap 18 and quickly racing out of DRS range. The McLaren was dominant across the race distance, as it has been at times throughout the 2024 campaign, and a poised Norris was able to claim his second win of the season and his career as a result.
Though Sunday’s outcome went in his favor, Norris’s performance at the start isn’t sustainable. After also gaining the fastest lap point on the final lap of the race, he still trails Verstappen by 70 points in the drivers’ championship standings, a margin that may already feel nearly insurmountable, even without mistakes. If he actually wants to take a dent out of the reigning world champion’s lead and make the battle interesting, he’ll need to be strong in all facets for the remaining nine races.
A Familiar Uncomfortable Outing for Red Bull
Verstappen has had the better of Norris at the start of races all year, but once the opening lap ends it’s been an uncomfortable middle part of the season for the three-time world champion. That proved to be the case again in Zandvoort, where the Dutch driver hasn’t lost since the race returned to the calendar in 2021, as the Red Bull fell out of contention for a win rather quickly.
Even still, Verstappen managed his race well, cruising to a runner-up finish with Norris in a league of his own. Should the 26-year-old continue to rattle off podiums down the final stretch of the season, Verstappen will still be right in the mix for a fourth straight title thanks to the cushion he built earlier in the year.
"We’re not quick enough"
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2024
Verstappen eager for Red Bull gains after losing out to McLaren rival Norris on home soil #F1 #DutchGP https://t.co/W4eRiv29Zl
However, the Red Bull team will again find itself wishing it had gotten more from Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez. After a fifth-place finish in qualifying, there was some notion that the summer break had revitalized the 34-year-old. But Sunday’s race saw Perez drop back to sixth, as both Ferraris rushed past him and held sizable gaps by the checkered flag. Had it not been for a head-scratching late stop for used soft tires by George Russell and Mercedes, Perez very well could have ended up in seventh or even eighth with a charging Lewis Hamilton making his way all the way up from 14th.
So the constructors results of the weekend are as follows: McLaren finished first and fourth for a total of 38 points. Red Bull came home in second and sixth for a total of 26 points. The result is that Red Bull now leads its chief competitors by just 30 points with nine races left—a margin that looks anything but comfortable.
Williams’s Wobbly Weekend
It’s never good when a team’s weekend is effectively over before Sunday’s race even begins, but that was the case for Williams at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Logan Sargeant, in the latest disaster for the soon-to-be departing driver, obliterated his car with a crash in the last practice session. The damage was so great that the 23-year-old American was unable to run in qualifying at all before plodding around the track to finish 16th on Sunday.
The situation only got worse for Williams when Alex Albon was disqualified from Saturday’s qualifying session for a breach of technical regulations regarding the floor of his car. The 28-year-old impressed when on track, qualifying for the Grand Prix in eighth, but Williams clearly took a misstep with its latest set of upgrades and Albon was forced to deal with the consequences. After Albon finished in 14th, Williams’s scoring drought since the British Grand Prix extended another weekend.
The result is a momentum crusher, after optimism abounded following the news of Carlos Sainz’s decision to join the outfit next season on the first day of the summer break. The Ferrari driver brings an already existing résumé to Williams that the team hasn’t had in a driver since 11-time race winner Felipe Massa lined up on the grid at the tail end of his career last decade. But Sainz isn’t looking for a rebuild. He turns 30 next week and will want to be as close to competing for podiums as possible.
If Williams has too many weekends like this one, Sainz may come to regret his decision sooner rather than later.
DRIVER STANDINGS (after 15/24 rounds)
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2024
Norris cuts Verstappen's lead to 70 points 👀#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/S4aBbDiDkD
This article was originally published on www.si.com as F1 Dutch Grand Prix Takeaways: Lando Norris Overcomes Slow Start to Dominate.
