Lando Norris’s victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, a display of fighting spirit worthy of a world champion, was not only an epic finale for the meeting’s last entry on the Formula One calendar but, as the British driver feistily declared, also hopefully heralds what could be an equally heroic fightback in the world championship.
The task facing Norris is huge but as the season enters the run-in to the title, the McLaren driver knew he had to at very least chip away at championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s advantage. For a great swathe of the Dutch GP it looked beyond him, with the Italian teenager assured out front.
Yet Norris was having none of it and with a steel and determination that he is perhaps not often enough credited with, he and McLaren threw themselves into the final third, taking a gamble on going long before their final pit stop that proved to be inspired. When Norris emerged on fresher rubber, he hared after the Mercedes, as Antonelli struggled for grip and made a bold, decisive move to take the lead with 15 laps remaining. It sealed the win with Antonelli second and a jubilant Norris knew what it meant.
“The fight is still on, let’s keep going!” he said as he took the flag for his second victory in a row. The gap to Antonelli is still a chasm, Norris now trails him by 83 points but is equally aware more than aware of quite how a season can turn.
He did not finish in the Netherlands last year but the following race marked the start of a remarkable comeback that would culminate in his first title. Max Verstappen went on to overcome a seemingly insurmountable 104-point deficit after Zandvoort, to close to within two points of Norris by the end. On this form the defending world champion might yet believe a similar feat might be on the cards.
Certainly he demonstrated no lack of mettle during a weekend when he repeatedly battled back. Disgruntled with a lack of pace in the sprint race, he hit back with pole and then the win despite having been behind Antonelli for the majority of the race. He may be fighting to extract the maximum from the McLaren but he is giving it his all on every front and that Mercedes early-season dominance looks to be all but equalled.
A sell-out crowd was in attendance on the track in the dunes by the North Sea for its final hurrah and they were treated to a corking show, albeit one where there was sadly no grand farewell for the home hero, the race marked on the opening lap with a high-speed crash for Red Bull’s Verstappen, who fortunately emerged unscathed after his car was left in pieces.
The Dutchman dipped a wheel on to the white line on the inside of the final corner, still damp from the rain, lost the rear and spun across the track to take a major hit into the barriers. He was ricocheted back into the inside wall, all four corners in pieces, testament once more to the safety standards of the modern cars and the four-time champion held his hands up to a misjudgment.
“I got caught out. It was still quite wet in that corner and as soon as I saw the dry patch coming, I was like: ‘Now you can accelerate’, but clearly that didn’t work. So probably it was still a bit too early,” he said.
The opening phase, of which the crash was part, was crucial, with the race in Antonelli’s hands after he made two decisive moves. He passed George Russell to take second place on the off and then Norris for the lead when they resumed with a restart after a 40-minute stoppage to clear the debris of Verstappen’s car.
He held the place with control, only for Norris to prove unbowed. He went long looking for a tyre advantage and came in on lap 48, seven laps later than Antonelli and was very quick on the fresh rubber, hurtling up to the Italian within a few laps.
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Given a sniff of a chance, Norris barrelled past Antonelli with a bold, bravura move at turn one round the outside, even as they both were within inches of Lewis Hamilton in front, with the Ferrari driver yet to stop. The crowd roared approval that there was to be no procession to the flag. Hamilton had problems of his own, finishing fourth after angry exchanges with the team over a strategy he felt cost him a shot at a podium.
For Norris and McLaren the victory represents a turnaround that must be acknowledged. For the first half of this season the car had been a handful to drive and off the pace but the team were clear they had expected to make real steps with their upgrades including a new swathe here.
They have been extraordinarily successful even as it remains yet to be quite the complete package, with a weakness through the slow corners that has frustrated Norris but the team are still exploiting it to the best effect and the defending world champion did so brilliantly in Zandvoort.
Russell said he believes McLaren are now the team to beat and Antonelli similarly opined that they have the fastest car. Points perhaps still moot but not surprising opinions given they had just been beaten, however that McLaren are back in the mix is undeniable.
There is an awfully long way to race but as first steps go Norris can feel he is on the front foot for the first time.
