Following his victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, Lando Norris declared that he would only concentrate on each race as it came and that it was “pretty stupid” to consider defeating Max Verstappen to the Championship at this time.
Of course, it’s a long shot, with nine races remaining and three “sprint” events in addition to a 70-point deficit. However, it is feasible if Norris continues to drive as he did in Zandvoort. Just.
In order for it to occur, Norris must continue to defeat Verstappen on his own, and ideally, other players should follow suit.
A few issues need to be resolved between Norris and McLaren, particularly with starts and opening laps. This year, Norris has already lost two races that he should have won at the start: Spain and Hungary. Although he overtook Verstappen after losing again in Zandvoort, he cannot rely on doing so every time.
Following the Dutch Grand Prix, Norris and McLaren team principal Andrea Stella discussed the matter of McLaren’s starts.
Norris and Oscar Piastri appeared to start nearly simultaneously, indicating that the problem may have been with the car or its systems rather than the drivers. Both drivers lost positions off the line.
