Lando Norris won the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, leading for most of the race and beating Max Verstappen, ending the latter's unbeaten home record.
Norris believes his McLaren car is now leading the Formula One field, with upgrades made to allow them to compete at the front with Red Bull. He set the fastest lap on the final lap, showing McLaren's dominance.
Verstappen acknowledged Red Bull was not quick enough to beat Norris.
Norris' win reduces Verstappen's championship lead, giving McLaren hope to catch up in the remaining races, as they are now closer to Red Bull in the constructors' championship standings.
The 24-year-old British driver, won his second Formula 1 race in Zandvoort, following his victory in Miami. He described the race as amazing and his car as unbelievable.
Norris admitted that McLaren should have won more races based on their car's performance and mentioned a wheelspin issue that caused him to lose the lead from the start but remained calm and focused in regaining it.
He is currently 70 points behind Verstappen in the world championship.
This was his third pole position and second career win of the season.
Norris overtook Verstappen on lap 18, pulling ahead as Verstappen struggled with grip issues and couldn't keep up. The Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished seventh and eighth.
Verstappen has not won in five races, losing his streak of winning the Dutch GP since its return in 2021.
With nine races left in the season, Verstappen remains the favorite, but Norris and other competitors, such as Leclerc and Sainz, are determined to challenge him for victory.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Newsweek, The New York Times, Forbes, Vertigo Politico, CNN, USA Today, Le Monde, El País, Barron's, Al Jazeera, O Globo, Yahoo News.