McLaren’s Lando Norris Secures Victory at the Dutch Grand Prix
McLaren’s Lando Norris clinched a decisive win at the Dutch Grand Prix, reducing Max Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 70 points with nine races left in the season.
Following the race at Zandvoort, BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson addresses some pressing questions.
How realistic are Lando Norris’s chances of overcoming the 70-point deficit to win the Championship?
It’s a significant challenge. Personally, I believe it’s nearly impossible. – Damian
After his victory, Norris remarked that it’s “pretty silly” to focus on defeating Verstappen for the Championship right now and emphasized the importance of concentrating on each upcoming race.
While overcoming a 70-point deficit in just nine races—and with three sprint events—is a formidable task, if Norris continues driving as he did in Zandvoort, it’s within the realm of possibility.
To make a championship run viable, Norris has to consistently outperform Verstappen while hoping others can do the same. Moreover, Verstappen may need to stumble at a couple of races, a possibility given that Singapore, a track where Red Bull struggled last year, is next on the schedule.
Norris and McLaren must resolve several issues, particularly in starts and the early laps. He has already potentially lost two wins this year due to poor starts in Spain and Hungary. Although he managed to regain positions after losing ground in Zandvoort, he can’t rely on similar recoveries every time.
After the Dutch Grand Prix, both Norris and McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, acknowledged the need to improve their starts.
Both Norris and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, dropped spots off the line, indicating a possible car or system issue rather than driver error during the start.
Both team members recognize that improvements are necessary. Norris commented, “Once again, it was a race that almost slipped away off the line, but today was different from anything that has happened before.” He added, “We need to find more consistency. I feel I’ve improved procedurally this time, but it didn’t translate into results.”
Stella agreed, stating, “The start is a fundamental element of racing, as crucial as car performance. We need to examine why our competitors seem to gain an advantage on us.” He noted that statistically, the team has been competitive at launch but highlighted that drivers like Verstappen seem to excel at the start. “A strong qualifying followed by a good start makes life considerably easier,” he explained.
“We must investigate this thoroughly,” Stella added, mentioning that launch technique is partly determined by the driver, but some aspects are within the team’s control. “We need to explore any optimization we can implement.”
Which team is most likely to recruit Adrian Newey next year, and will he have any preferences at this stage of his career?
This topic stirs considerable interest in F1 and carries a degree of uncertainty.
When Newey announced his departure from Red Bull, several teams seemed poised to offer him a position, but many of those options have since faded. Ferrari quickly became an unlikely destination, and McLaren’s CEO, Zak Brown, also ruled out bringing him on board.
Aston Martin has extended an offer to Newey, which he is currently evaluating. Williams—where he achieved his initial successes from 1991 to 1996—has also expressed interest, along with Alpine, which has entered the mix as well.
Reports suggest that Newey has engaged in substantial discussions with Alpine’s executive adviser, Flavio Briatore.
The 65-year-old is still weighing his options.
Why isn’t the Dutch GP sold out immediately despite being cheaper than Silverstone and offering a continuous party atmosphere?
The official attendance at this year’s Dutch Grand Prix reached 305,000, matching last year’s figures.
The race enjoys immense popularity among Dutch fans and has a festive vibe reminiscent of a beach party, complete with house music. However, adverse weather—rain and high winds—negatively impacted attendance on Friday and Saturday.
The event is scheduled to return in 2025, yet concerns about sustaining interest linger. There have been discussions about rotating the event with others in the future, potentially involving Barcelona, which lost its spot in 2026 to a new race in Madrid, or Imola, which is under scrutiny for potential removal as Italy’s second race.
The Belgian GP, once a candidate for rotation, is negotiating for a long-term deal contingent on infrastructure improvements.
Why not award three or even five points for the fastest lap to make it more exciting?
Formula 1 continuously considers changes to enhance the sport’s allure, but these ideas must align with its core principles.
The point awarded for the fastest lap has garnered controversy since its introduction and remains a subject of debate. While it can be pivotal—Norris made headlines by claiming it on tires that had completed 43 laps—it also carries the risk of being manipulated by a leading team making a late ‘free’ pit stop.
While some believe that a single point for the fastest lap is acceptable, increasing it further could detract from the sport’s essence.
Is F1 contemplating moving away from the FIA, particularly regarding their stewarding of races?
Relations between the commercial rights holders of F1 (Liberty Media) and the FIA have been tense in recent years.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stirred controversy with various remarks and actions, leading to dissatisfaction from F1 regarding recent governance issues. His historic remarks, interference in rule enforcement, and the conflict of interest investigation involving Toto and Susie Wolff have all raised eyebrows.
There have been instances when Liberty considered dissociating from the FIA. However, this poses challenges, as the FIA owns the rights to the F1 World Championship, which Liberty merely leases. A split would necessitate rebranding.
Nonetheless, recent months have seen a thaw in relations, as both organizations collaborate on refining the 2026 rules, following the concerns teams raised when those rules were initially published in June.
What are your thoughts on Lando Norris’s chances of closing the gap in the championship race?
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