Hottest thoughts on the Dutch Grand Prix: ‘Now or NEVER for Lando Norris’

The 2024 Dutch Grand Prix won’t go down in history as a classic, but it does raise plenty of questions as we approach the end of the Formula 1 season.

Lando Norris cruised to victory at Zandvoort ahead of home favourite Max Verstappen as McLaren picked up where they left off before the summer break.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen receives shock FIA anti-doping test and star is DISQUALIFIED ahead of Dutch Grand Prix

READ MORE: Dutch GP issues official statement after serious on-track accident

Verstappen raised hopes of a home win After taking the lead at the beginningjust for Norris Overtaking him again on the straight later in the Grand Prix. with ease – and that was pretty much it at the front of the pack for the rest of the race.

However, GPF Fans They have given their take on the action following McLaren’s dominance at Zandvoort.

Matt Hobkinson – Senior F1 Editor

The most boring race of the F1 season so far? Possibly. We all knew it was a question of when, not if, Lando would lose the lead, but even by his previous poor standards, even getting to Turn 1 wasn’t special.

The McLaren came alive as the race progressed, though, and it wasn’t long before Verstappen could only watch helplessly as a papaya-coloured blob appeared and then disappeared. The less said about the rest of the on-track action the better, given that there wasn’t any.

He drivers’ championship Norris may have gone too far this season, but McLaren are giving Red Bull a run for their money. Christian Horner I wasn’t nervous before summer break and I should be now.

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson – Deputy Editor for the United States

Well, well, well! Lando Norris can win after starting on pole position after all!

Okay, it’s true that he got off to a bad start once again, but after that, just when Twitter warriors were sharpening their knives and preparing their memes, he showed fantastic composure to put that aside and eventually take back the lead. After that, there was no turning back.

While Oscar Piastri had a solid but unspectacular weekend, Norris once again proved that he is the man to support at McLaren and should, even if not formally, have number one status within the team. Although McLaren looks set to battle it out with Red Bull in the classification of constructorsIf the team senses even a slight hint that the Briton could challenge Verstappen for the drivers’ title, it must act accordingly.

It is the least that Norris deserves given the level he is performing this season and the confidence he has shown in the team in recent years.

Sheona Mountford – F1 Journalist

What can be said about the Dutch Grand Prix? Not much, as Zandvoort offers one of the most boring spectacles of the season. The most dramatic moment of the weekend came in FP3. with the fiery clash of Logan Sargeant Which prevented him from competing in the classification.

Which begs the question: will this be the American’s last race in F1? If the rumours are true, we could see Mick Schumacher at Williams soon, as the team waits for a safe pair of gloves from Carlos Sainz. But is it really better for Williams to opt for Schumacher?

Based on his track record at Haas, James Vowles is taking a significant risk with Schumacher. Sure, there may not be much of an option for a mid-season switch, but dumping Sargeant for another crash-prone driver seems a fairly futile attempt to solve his problems.

Chris Deeley – US Editor

Lando Norris is the fastest man in the world. It’s not a conventional wisdom, or even a conventional wisdom, it’s what we’ve learned in the final third of this season.

Does it help that McLaren has, indisputably, the fastest car in Formula 1? Yes, yes. Did it help Max Verstappen when he used to have the fastest car? Yes, too, but Norris put his car on pole by more than three-tenths of a second. He beat his teammate by four-tenths in a single lap. His teammate didn’t even make the podium, while he won by 20 seconds.

Now here’s the burning question: Will Lando Norris be the best driver of the 21st century to never have won an F1 title? This year is too far away and Oscar Piastri is improving very quickly. Other teams are close behind. Rule changes are coming. It could be now or never. It could be never.

Kevin McKenna – F1 Journalist

After four weeks of waiting for Formula 1 to return from its summer slumber, the action at Zandvoort was all but over in the first four seconds. Verstappen’s quick start was enough to overtake title rival Lando Norris, but it didn’t take long for the Briton to regain the lead and disappoint the home fans who had hoped to celebrate another victory for their local hero.

Other than that, there wasn’t much to capture the imagination on a painfully dull afternoon in the Dutch sun. Not that Norris cares too much. The McLaren star needed a big result to stay in the championship fight and, to his credit, he delivered.

We would also like to give special mention to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who was a prominent protagonist throughout the television coverage (perhaps indicative of the lack of action elsewhere) after putting in a stellar performance in the midfield to secure a couple of much-needed points.

Ronan Murphy – Social Media Editor

Who would have thought that a race featuring Max Verstappen would be boring? Well, anyone who has watched the Dutch Grand Prix before, probably. Normally, it’s a procession for Verstappen at his home Grand Prix, but this time Lando Norris won comfortably – and in a boring way – at Zandvoort.

Many street circuits come under fire for their lack of drama, but the 2024 Dutch GP may have topped them all, delivering negative drama for 70 of the 72 laps. There’s been a lot of talk this weekend about potentially ditching drivers (I’m looking at you, Logan Sargeant), but has the time come to ditch the Dutch GP?

Apart from Formula 1 fans in Holland, nobody else in the world would miss it. It doesn’t have the same intrigue or tradition as other tracks. Let’s forget about it and move on, please.

Dan Ripley – Deputy Editor-in-Chief

“McLaren is the car to beat today, every day,” summed up Martin Brundle after almost 50 laps of the Dutch Grand Prix, as Lando Norris continued to extend his lead over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull with almost no effort.

However, the lead he held as he galloped to victory was such that the question remains whether Red Bull will be able to beat their title rivals, who are rapidly rising in the championship. It is difficult to see where Verstappen can beat Norris anywhere now. And if Norris is to adopt total dominance mode, it is not unrealistic that he could continue to chip away at Verstappen’s overall lead.

Red Bull no longer looks fast. Sergio Perez had arguably one of his best races in recent times in that he was not surprisingly far off the pace of Verstappen and yet was unable to finish ahead of either of the McLarens or even the Ferraris. Zandvoort may not have created much drama, but it has certainly reignited the championship battles.

READ MORE: FIA confirms PUNISHMENT after Ricciardo’s incident at Dutch GP

Related