Lando Norris Secures Pole Position for Dutch Grand Prix
Lando Norris stated he achieved pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix with the “best lap” of his career and is “working hard” to turn this into a victory on Sunday.
The McLaren driver outpaced Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.356 seconds during the qualifying session at Zandvoort—an impressive margin for one of the shorter laps of the season.
“I feel like I did a very good lap, by far my best. The car was good, and I felt good too,” Norris remarked, praising his team for the successful implementation of their first upgrade since the Miami race in May.
“We’ve been patient. We haven’t introduced many upgrades, or any significant performance-enhancing upgrades since Miami,” he added. “We took our time because we wanted to ensure everything worked perfectly as soon as we put it on the car, and so far, it has performed exactly that way. Thanks to the team for playing a crucial role in this as well.”
This marks the 24-year-old Briton’s third pole position of the season, with the largest percentage margin for a pole-winning driver since Verstappen’s performance in China during the fourth race.
However, Norris was unable to convert either of his previous pole positions—achieved in Spain and Hungary—into a win, having been overtaken by rivals at the start of those races.
A series of minor errors by either the driver or the team in various races have hampered their chances of victory, prompting Norris to admit prior to this race that he hadn’t been driving at the level expected from a world champion this season.
Norris stated, “I want to win, but I’m not desperate. I’m working hard to achieve it, as is the entire team. While we all desire to win, we’re not desperate, because desperation seldom leads to success.”
In Spain, Norris slipped from pole to third at the first corner after being passed by Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell.
And in Hungary, he finished behind his teammate, Oscar Piastri, who eventually won the race. Piastri qualified third in the Netherlands, nearly 0.5 seconds behind Norris.
Norris mentioned that he and the team have been strategizing to improve their chances of converting their potential into race wins.
“I know my starts haven’t been my strong suit over the last few races,” Norris acknowledged. “They haven’t been bad, to be honest. I’m still among the best average starters. Just a few missed opportunities and perhaps I’ve been slightly off compared to my usual performances.”
“There have been various factors affecting my starts, but I feel confident in the effort I’ve put in to improve them.”
He expressed hope that Sunday’s race would finally bring the victory he has been aiming for. “We’re in a pretty solid position,” Norris said. “Our long-run pace was strong in practice, but with Max, Oscar, and both Mercs—especially George in the position he’s in—they’ll all be competitive. I don’t expect anything easy.”
Verstappen, meanwhile, was satisfied with qualifying on the front row after a challenging weekend for Red Bull. “I never really felt like I was in contention for pole,” the world champion admitted. “Coming out of qualifying on the front row is decent.”
However, he noted that Norris’ pace advantage could make it difficult for Red Bull during the race. “Considering the gap, it’s going to be tricky,” Verstappen commented. “It feels like Lando is generally happier with the driving and how he feels in the car. I’m a bit more erratic with the balance; hopefully, it stabilizes tomorrow.”
Despite having their own upgrade, Verstappen acknowledged that Red Bull is no longer the fastest team on the grid. “If you look at the last seven races, it’s been tougher for us. We’re working to understand and improve our situation, but there’s no magic solution,” he explained.
Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, qualified fifth, following Mercedes’ George Russell. Perez benefited from driver coaching at Silverstone this week. “It was just about getting up to speed. It’s good to refresh my mind and work on the areas where I was struggling,” he said.
Russell, who was 0.571 seconds slower than Norris after being the fastest in Friday practice, expressed optimism about challenging in the race. “I expect a good fight with the McLarens. They’ve been quick in the last few races; even at Spa, Piastri was the fastest car,” he noted. “With the right strategy and a strong start, things can change quickly.”
His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, will start from 12th after struggling with pace and making a mistake on his final qualifying lap. “I don’t anticipate it being a great race,” he remarked.
With all this in mind, do you think Norris can finally secure his first victory in Formula 1?
