‘We needed to put on a show’ – Norris dissects the ‘move that won me’ the final Dutch GP

Lando Norris was left feeling “over the moon” after he passed Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton with a pair of spectacular overtakes to win the Dutch Grand Prix, marking his second victory of the season.

Starting from pole position, the McLaren driver’s clean opening lap was halted following a scary crash for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, which resulted in a red flag and eventual restart for the remaining competitors.

It was on this second attempt that Norris lost the lead to Antonelli, forcing him to launch an attack that lasted for the majority of the race. Through multiple pit stops, he dropped to third place on track and patiently waited for the perfect time to strike, which came on Lap 54 of 72.

Heading into Turn 1, the reigning World Champion went around the outside of Antonelli in a decisive manoeuvre before closing up to Hamilton, who he passed on the same lap to reclaim the lead.

“Yesterday I said we needed to put on a bit of a show for everyone for the final race here, so I made it tough for myself today but [it was] a good race, well-fought,” Norris reflected. “Probably one of my better wins – we had to fight for it well but the pace was strong.

“We managed things incredibly well today so [I'm] over the moon, very happy. Nice to win the final race here in Zandvoort.

“The move was good. I knew I wasn’t going to get many chances. Every lap I spent behind [Antonelli], my odds were getting lower and lower. I saw Lewis defended and I knew that was my moment.

“I did a couple of clicks on my brake balance. I knew I was going to commit to the braking and that move won me the race. Just well-played on my part. I knew I had to make it and I probably had one chance to really make it happen and I made the most of it.”

A series of upgrades introduced by McLaren in recent rounds have helped them take a significant step towards the front of the field, demonstrated not only by this Zandvoort triumph, but also Norris’ win at the previous event in Hungary.

As a result of their improvement, he is fourth in the standings and just 24 points adrift of Hamilton and George Russell, who are now level. McLaren are arguably enjoying the best trajectory of any team on the grid, making it possible that the Briton could try and pursue another title.

Asked whether he’s considering the prospect of a comeback, Norris said: “It sounds boring but one race at a time. Not a lot of people say it now but it’s the truth of it – there’s no point thinking that far ahead.

“I need to concentrate now on having a nice little break. Obviously two great weekends but we just need to reset, to learn as much as we can. I think there are still plenty of things we can do better and we need to do better if we want to fight for a championship.

“I’m very pleased with the team. I’m pleased with how much work everyone’s doing and so happy I can deliver it for them and bring two wins in a row. It’s still harder than I would like and I want a bigger gap.

“We have to keep working hard. There are still plenty of races, plenty of opportunities for everyone. Keep my head down, keep working and they’ll keep coming.”