Lando Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix of Formula 1 and highlighted the outside overtake at turn 1 as the decisive moment to secure victory in Zandvoort. The Briton, however, stated that the result does not hide the difficulties presented by McLaren during the weekend.
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Norris had problems with pace and balance in the first half of the race, especially with the soft tires. The situation changed with the use of the hard compounds, when the car started to respond better and allowed the driver to pressure Mercedes, leading the rival team to bring forward their stop.
“The team’s strategy was perfect, and that gave me the opportunity to attack with new tires while Kimi (Antonelli) was struggling with Lewis (Hamilton). I knew that was my only chance and needed to make it work,” said Norris. The British driver explained that taking the outside line at turn 1 was the decision that paved the way for victory.
Even with the win, Norris acknowledged that McLaren still has some limitations: “I’m still not completely satisfied. We have weaknesses, especially in low-speed corners, and we need to improve if we want to fight for the championship,” he added.
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Oscar Piastri finished only sixth and also pointed out a significant drop in performance throughout the race. The Australian mentioned a slow stop but considered the lack of pace the main problem, while Andrea Stella explained that Norris’s teammate lost positions after difficulties making the hard tires work.
For Stella, the victory confirmed the progress made by the team but does not allow complacency: “Formula 1 is extremely balanced at the moment, and we need to keep improving the car because other teams will continue bringing updates,” concluded the McLaren boss, who now hopes that the Italian GP will offer new answers about the car’s real potential.
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