Max Verstappen, Red Bull (P2, 18 pts): 8.5/10
This was Max Verstappen's 200th Grand Prix start, and the fact that it came at his home race where he had never failed to clinch pole and victory in the three years since Zandvoort has been back on the calendar meant many people were convinced it would see him return to winning ways for the first time since Spain. That it didn't happen is the clearest indication we've had to date that Red Bull - and Verstappen - are far from the dominant force in F1 they were just a few months ago. He thought he had clinched pole on Saturday only to be slapped in the face by Lando Norris going 0.356s faster with his final lap a few seconds later. Then in the race it again looked like business as normal when Norris had a poor start and Verstappen sailed into turn 1 in the lead, as we've seen so many times in the past. This story always ends with a Verstappen victory, only this time it didn't. Verstappen was soon struggling on his tyres and he was ripe for Norris to pick him off on lap 18. What was truly shocking was just how easy it was for Norris to then pull out a 22.896s margin before the finish. It's the kind of thing Verstappen has done to his rivals countless times in recent seasons, but to be on the receiving end of such a curt and emphatic dismissal will have hit the world champion where it hurts. Not time for Red Bull to panic yet, maybe, but undoubtedly cause for concern.
Lando Norris, McLaren (Pole, P1, Fastest lap, 26 pts): 9.5/10
Expectations were high when Lando Norris won a stunning pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix by a whopping 0.356s from home favourite Max Verstappen. The McLaren had already proven itself super fast by topping first practice on Friday, and now it looked like all he had to do was not to botch the start and make sure that he went into the first turn in the lead, and he had it in the bag. Unfortunately that didn't happen, and wheel spin on the Mclaren opened the door wide for the Red Bull to pounce. It was heartbreaking to watch for anyone wearing papaya, to see yet another lost opportunity surely slip away. Except curiously, Norris didn't seem at all concerned by the setback. He appeared imbued by an almost uncanny sense of confidence and destiny that this was his race to win. The way he marched up to Verstappen on lap 18 and took no nonsense when he snatched the lead was a sight to see. Only the way he then powered off to a whopping 22.896s margin over the course of what turned out to be a supremely untroubled afternoon was more spectacular. The Dutch fans at Zandvoort might have been hoping for a different winner, but even they knew they had seen something special today. While losing the lead at the start means we can't formally award him a 10/10, in our hearts we have the ratings turned up to 11 for Lando this week.
