McLaren Shocked At Lando Norris Pace - 'Beyond Expectations'

Alex Harrington | Aug 25, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; McLaren driver Lando Norris (GBR) races during FP3 practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

McLaren's Lando Norris not only clinched a win at the Dutch Grand Prix by an impressive margin but also left the team's principal, Andrea Stella, in awe of his performance. Not far behind in the narrative was Oscar Piastri, whose race, marked by difficulties, was a topic of reflection for Stella.

Norris, after losing the initial lead to Max Verstappen, showed remarkable resilience and driving as he continued to push his McLaren closer to the gearbox of the Red Bull. Despite Verstappen's early advantage, Norris maintained close pursuit. By lap 18, Norris had regained the lead, setting a commanding pace, proving the effectiveness of McLaren's recent upgrades.

His dominant performance continued, culminating in a nearly 20-second gap ahead of the second-place Verstappen and securing the fastest lap in what proved to be an exceptional outing at Zandvoort.

Max Verstappen, who finished second, faced challenges with his car, commenting during the race that his tires were "numb." These issues visibly hampered his ability to defend his position against a surging Norris.

Amidst the celebrations of Norris's victory, the performance of McLaren's other driver, Oscar Piastri, wasn't quite as strong but still impressive. Starting on the right foot, Piastri got overshadowed as the race progressed, his potential podium finish thwarted by getting stuck in traffic, leaving him just outside the podium

McLaren Team Principal, Andrea Stella, said the following:

"It's beyond expectations. We knew the car was performing well but today was a positive surprise in terms of how fast it was," Stella said, lauding Norris's performance. Regarding Piastri, Stella added:

"It's great that Lando could capitalize with a dominant victory. It's a bit of a shame with Oscar that he got stuck in traffic. He deserved a podium today and could have attacked Verstappen. This didn't materialize but it's very promising for future races."

He continued, thanking his team for the work they have done which has seen them improve remarkably since the beginning of the ground effect regulations.

"I want to take the opportunity to thank all the men and women at McLaren. They made such an amazing job, not only throughout the season, but more recently for the upgrades for this weekend that have put us in a strong and exciting position for the future."

Other noteworthy performances included Ferrari's Charles Leclerc securing third place and a determined showing from Carlos Sainz, who rounded out the top five. Meanwhile, late-race penalties and technical issues for others like Lance Stroll, who was penalized for speeding in the pit lane, and Kevin Magnussen, who had a brief off-track towards the beginning of the race, made this an interesting race to watch.

2024 Dutch Grand Prix Results

1. Lando Norris - Fastest Lap
2. Max Verstappen
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Oscar Piastri
5. Carlos Sainz
6. Sergio Perez
7. George Russell
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Pierre Gasly
10. Fernando Alonso
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Daniel Ricciardo
13. Lance Stroll
14. Alex Albon
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Logan Sargeant
17. Yuki Tsunoda
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Zhou Guanyu
20. Kevin Magnussen