McLaren's Lando Norris broke Max Verstappen's unbeaten streak at the Dutch Grand Prix, securing his second Formula One victory and injecting fresh energy into the championship on Sunday. Red Bull's three-time world champion finished 22.896 seconds adrift, having initially taken the lead but later overtaken on the 18th lap out of 72, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc claiming third place. This marked the first non-victory for Verstappen at Zandvoort since the race's revival in 2021, extending his current losing run to five races. His points lead over Norris was reduced to 70 after 15 of 24 scheduled rounds, with McLaren also narrowing Red Bull's lead in the constructors' championship to 30 points.
Norris expressed his delight, stating, "It feels amazing. I wouldn't call it a perfect race due to the initial lap issues, but it was still wonderful. The car's performance was outstanding." Norris, who secured his maiden win in Miami earlier this year, added, "I was able to overtake Max and the race was straightforward yet challenging and enjoyable." Starting from pole for the fourth time in his career, Norris successfully converted his starting position into a win in front of Verstappen's enthusiastic Dutch fans. Initially, it seemed he might lose his edge, as the 24-year-old Briton had a slow start while Verstappen aggressively took the lead into the first turn. However, Norris's McLaren demonstrated superior speed and drag reduction system (DRS) capabilities, allowing him to overtake Verstappen on the inside at turn one after a tentative attempt on lap 17 and steadily pull ahead.
Norris also secured an additional point for setting the fastest lap and was honored as Driver of the Day by the fans. Verstappen reflected, "You always aim for better results. We had a strong start and did our best, but it was evident we lacked the necessary speed." Norris's teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished fourth, followed by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in fifth and Red Bull's Sergio Perez in sixth. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton placed seventh and eighth, respectively, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly ninth and lapped, and Fernando Alonso rounding out the points for Aston Martin.
