August 25, (THEWILL) – Lando Norris claimed a stunning victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing 22 seconds ahead of local favorite Max Verstappen. The British driver overcame a poor start to dominate the race, marking a significant shift in the 2024 Formula 1 championship standings.
Despite his concerns about launch performance, Norris lost the lead in the second phase of the start. He was 0.41 seconds slower than Verstappen from 0-200 km/h, forcing him to chase the Dutch driver on his home circuit. Verstappen, who had been unhappy with his car’s pace throughout the weekend, could not hold off Norris’s charge. The McLaren driver overtook Verstappen on lap 18 and never looked back.
Norris’s pace was relentless, at times lapping eight-tenths of a second faster than Verstappen. This commanding performance has tightened both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships with nine races left in the season. Norris has now reduced Verstappen’s lead to 70 points, while McLaren trails Red Bull by just 30 points in the team standings.
The podium was completed by Charles Leclerc in third place. Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz rounded out the top five, followed by Sergio Pérez, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, and Fernando Alonso.
This result sets the stage for an exciting end to the 2024 Formula 1 season, with both individual and team titles still up for grabs. Fans can look forward to more fierce competition in the coming races.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
