Lando Norris has asserted that he is outperforming every other driver following an impressive victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, an event notably marked by Max Verstappen’s dramatic crash during his final home race.
The 26-year-old Glastonbury native trailed championship leader Kimi Antonelli at the Zandvoort circuit before staging a late comeback to secure back-to-back wins, strengthening his prospects of defending his title this season.
After the race, Norris rose to fourth in the championship standings, though he remains 83 points behind Antonelli. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton trail the leader by 59 points each.
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Mercedes have expressed concern over the growing threat from McLaren, with Antonelli describing them as the fastest team on the grid and Russell acknowledging McLaren as the team to beat.
Responding to these comments, Norris said, “They’re not going to say it themselves, are they? I don’t think it’s true. Mercedes have a better all-round car. But I know how well I’m doing behind the wheel.”
He continued, “For once, I’ll give myself a bit of credit-I feel I am doing a better job than everyone else. That can make a difference. We have a car now capable of beating them. We didn’t win the sprint race yesterday and didn’t change much, but I have worked a lot on my driving. I want to believe more than anyone else.
“If I make one mistake, we’re P4, P5. So the fact I’m doing a good job is why people are speaking about it.”
Having overcome a disappointing sprint race, Norris delivered a commanding performance during Sunday’s main event. Despite being overtaken by Antonelli at the start after a red flag caused by Verstappen’s crash-with conditions damp-the McLaren team’s strategic decision to pit Norris later gave him an advantage on fresher tyres.
This strategy paid off as Norris executed a brilliant move, overtaking Antonelli on the outside of turn one on lap 54.
“When the car gives me what I need and I am driving at this level, I can win races,” Norris said. “I was able to pressure him into mistakes and influence their strategy.”
While cautious about declaring himself back in the title hunt, Norris acknowledged that Sunday’s victory ranks among his best. “I made it tough for myself but it was a good race, probably one of my better wins. We had to fight for it,” he added.
Mercedes implemented team orders, instructing Russell to let Antonelli through on fresher tyres; Russell finished second while fending off Hamilton to claim third. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
The final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort was tinged with drama as the home crowd witnessed Verstappen’s severe high-speed crash at the end of the opening lap. The four-time world champion appeared to lose control entering the heavily banked final corner, sliding across the track and into the barriers.
Verstappen was quickly confirmed to be uninjured. Reflecting after the race, he said, “It was a decent hit but I’ve had worse. I saw a dry line and tried to accelerate but it caught me out. I hit the wall. It could have been much worse with so many cars behind, but luckily it went well.”
Meanwhile, Ferrari found themselves involved in a tactical battle over team radio when Hamilton requested to pass Leclerc. After being instructed to pit, Leclerc delayed for an additional lap.
Hamilton remarked, “Great way of wasting time, guys, good job.” Speaking to Sky Sports later, he said, “We couldn’t win this race but to win championships you have to pick up every point. The last few races have been difficult with penalties and today, I lost several seconds behind Charles, which I believe made the difference at the end.”