Norris dominates Verstappen to claim statement Dutch GP win

Lando Norris took a commanding victory over Max Verstappen at the Dutchman's home grand prix, the second of his F1 career.

It is McLaren's first Dutch Grand Prix victory since Niki Lauda in 1985, the legendary driver's last F1 victory.

Verstappen took the lead off the line at Zandvoort, but with superior pace, the Briton reasserted himself at the head of the field prior to the first round of pit stops.

After that phase, the McLaren eased away from the Red Bull driver, who was powerless to prevent his winless streak extending to five grands prix. It is also the first time the three-time champion has not clinched victory in the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Woking team did not have things all its way at Zandvoort. Putting Oscar Piastri on a sub-optimal strategy after running long, the Australian struggled to move back past the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, who took an impressive third place to round out the podium.

Opening phase

Norris immediately lost the lead to Verstappen off the line, continuing his streak of not leading the first lap when having started from pole to six occasions - each time he has headed the field at a race start.

Meanwhile, team-mate Piastri also fell back, with George Russell moving up into third whilst the other Mercedes started to move through the pack on the soft red-walled Pirellis.

Verstappen was quickly out of DRS range as the Dutchman settled into his home grand prix.

Further back, Leclerc and Sergio Perez slowly eeked away from the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin.

With five laps of the 72-lap race gone, Russell was starting to back Piastri up into the Ferrari and Red Bull behind. Ahead of him, Norris enjoyed a comfortable two-second advantage.

As the top 10 eased into a comfortable pace, at the back of the field Kevin Magnussen ran wide at Turn 1 but was able to keep going after finding the escape road.

The only mover in the top group was Carlos Sainz, who dispatched of Alonso, setting after Gasly in seventh. Two laps later, on lap 11, the Ferrari driver succeeded.

The first stopper was the Williams of Alexander Albon, who came in on lap 13 for hard tyres.

By this point, Norris had reeled Verstappen back in, to within a second. The three-time world champion was on the radio to complain about his RB20 not turning at Turn 10.

Further back, Lewis Hamilton was into the top 10, displacing Lance Stroll. The other Aston Martin would be next for the British driver, who lifted himself to ninth on lap 16.

Battle for the lead

As the grand prix reached quarter distance, Norris began applying serious pressure on Verstappen ahead.

At the start of lap 18, the McLaren driver swooped up the inside of the Red Bull to reclaim the lead he lost before the first corner.

Within two laps the 24-year-old had broken clear of DRS as the gap to Verstappen gradually grew. By lap 25, Norris was over four second ahead.

In the battle in the lower reaches of the top 10, Hamilton came close to moving past Gasly for seventh, but opted to pit having extended his soft tyres to their useable limit.

Leclerc's pit stop on lap 25 triggered a flurry of activity, with Russell following suit a lap later. The British driver would have a slow stop at 3.4 seconds, which allowed the Ferrari to undercut him. Both went onto the white-walled hard Pirellis.

As McLaren predicted, Verstappen would attempt the undercut, coming in at the end of lap 27. However, with an ample gap Norris covered off the Red Bull the following lap, re-entering the fray with his comfortable advantage intact.

The British driver would inherit the lead from Piastri at the end of lap 33 when the Australian pitted for fresh rubber, re-emerging in fifth.

Second half

Within a handful of laps, the McLaren had moved back past Russell, as he set his sights on Leclerc in third.

The first penalty of the afternoon was awarded to Stroll after the Aston Martin driver was found guilty of speeding in the pit lane when making his pit stop.

By lap 42, Norris' lead up front was in excess of 10 seconds over Verstappen with the only real mover near the top of the order being the other papaya car.

A terrific five-car battle ensued for the last point between Gasly, Albon, the Aston Martins and Magnussen, who promptly pitted for his only stop of the afternoon as the Alpine held out in tenth.

Sainz's recovery drive saw the Spaniard scythe past Perez and into sixth as his team-mate found himself under increasing pressure from Piastri.

On lap 49, Hamilton would come in from eight, strapping on his second set of soft compounds of the day. It was a free stop for the Mercedes, who set about reducing the gap to Perez again.

The Brackley squad also pitted Russell, who filed in between Hamilton and the Mexican - the British driver seemingly unable to take his hard Pirellis to the end of the race.

As things started to quiet down, Norris continued to extend his lead, with his advantage easily north of 16 seconds by lap 60.

Meanwhile, Piastri found himself stuck behind Leclerc and unable to dispatch the Ferrari in the fight for the final podium finish.

The battle in the lower reaches of the points remained alive and well. Gasly took Hulkenberg for ninth, with the Haas driver on the same tyres for approaching 50 laps. Would the German be able to hold off the Aston Martin of Alonso?

The answer would be no, with the two-time champion swooping around the outside of the first corner on lap 64.

Ultimately, Norris would win by over 20 seconds and claim the fastest lap point on the final lap of the race to reduce the drivers' championship arrears to 70 points from Verstappen ahead.