Dutch GP: Peerless Norris rises to the challenge in Zandvoort

Lando Norris started from pole and once again lost the lead into the first corner of the Dutch GP, but this time the McLaren driver shrugged off the temporary setback and swept back past Max Verstappen for an emphatic victory.

It's the first time that Verstappen has failed to win his home race and Norris' margin was a massive 20s, with an impressive Charles Leclerc joining them on the podium in a much better than expected Ferrari.

Oscar Piastri narrowly missed out on the top three but stayed ahead of Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, while Mercedes was oddly subdued with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton never really in the running.

• 2024 Dutch Grand Prix - Race results

The weather at Zandvoort was rather more beach-ready than it had been on Friday and Saturday, sunshine greeting the cars as they headed to the grid. There had been some changes to the starting order overnight, with a penalty for Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon excluded for a technical infringement but allowed to line up at the back just behind his Williams team mate Logan Sargeant, and Kevin Magnussen starting from pit lane after Haas had to swap out his battery.

But it was still McLaren's Lando Norris on pole and home hero Max Verstappen alongside him in the Red Bull on the front row when the lights went out. Not known for nailing the start, Norris once again fluffed the launch with wheel spin which allowed Verstappen to fly to the front and take charge. Oscar Piastri also lost a place and handed third to George Russell, Charles Leclerc similarly getting ahead of Sergio Perez, all of which suggested that this side of the grid was the place to be.

Verstappen made sure he was out of DRS range by the time it was enabled, but Norris was clinging on. The pair were soon pulling away from Russell and Piastri who were bunched up with Leclerc and Piastri. Pierre Gasly was doing a solid job holding on to P7 but clearly holding up faster cars including Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

The front runners had all opted to start on mediums, Hamilton in P12 the first on soft tyres. Even so he struggled for the speed needed to pass the Haas. He finally pulled off the move on lap 10, then galloped off to pass Lance Stroll for tenth. Sainz likewise found a way past Gasly's gallant defence to take seventh on lap 11, and Leclerc looked distinctly happier today than in practice and was dancing all the way up to the back of Piastri.

Attention was turning toward pit stops and strategies. Verstappen certainly seemed to have used up his own tyres much quicker than Norris, who was now back into DRS range. Verstappen was forced to resort to some late defensive moves but Norris was wise to his rival's ways this time. Verstappen was forced to concede and Norris retook the lead into Tarzan on lap 18. As he began to pull away, Verstappen alerted the Red Bull that "My tyres are just numb, they don't grip," adding: "I can't go any faster, the car isn't responding to my inputs."

Norris was indeed soon out of DRS range of Verstappen. In third, Russell was feeling little pressure from Piastri who was struggling to hold off Leclerc. Further back, Hamilton had picked off Alonso in the second Aston Martin before pitting having made the soft tyres last a full 24 laps. Leclerc's mediums gave him only one lap more before the Ferrari pitted for hards; Russell responded next time time round but came out behind the Monegasque. Verstappen's turn to pit came on lap 28 and McLaren immediately covered it off but it was a slow service. However his advantage over Verstappen was big enough to keep Norris ahead when he came back out.

Piastri stayed out and inherited the lead until finally pitting at the end of lap 33. He slotted back into fifth behind Leclerc and Russell, restoring Norris to the lead ahead of Verstappen. The fresher tyres soon enabled Piastri to sweep past Russell for fourth on lap 40, immediately setting off in pursuit of Leclerc. Further back there was a thrilling four way battle over tenths with Gasly coming out top over Albon, Alonso and Stroll, although the latter had just been handed a five-second penalty for speeding in pit lane.

Even on the hard tyres, Verstappen was still struggling. So was his team mate, Perez being put to the sword by Sainz for sixth on lap 47 and at risk from Hamilton who was on a two-stop strategy with a return to soft tyres on lap 50 while retaining eighth place. The new tyres allowed him to set a new fastest lap but he was 25s behind Perez - a tall order if the Red Bull wasn't stopping again.

Russell followed Hamilton's lead with a stop on lap 55 to finish on softs but dropping him back in between Perez and Hamilton, his hopes of a podium now dashed. Piastri was still in with a shout: despite being stuck behind Leclerc for P3, he was clearly determined to stay out to the finish, telling the team that his current tyres were "not amazing but we'll make it to the end".

In the end there was no question about the winner with Norris holding a massive 20s lead at the line over Verstappen, even managing to deny Hamilton the bonus point for fastest lap.

Leclerc did successfully fend off Piastri to the line to join them on the podium. Sainz' bid to catch the McLaren fell short but he had done enough to stay ahead of Perez, with Russell and Hamilton failing to deliver with their final soft stint strategy. The final points went to Gasly and Alonso, with all 20 cars still running at the chequered flag in a remarkably clean and tidy race.

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