Max Verstappen delighted his fans in Zandvoort early on by successfully overtaking Lando Norris. However, he couldn’t enjoy his success for long, as the Briton overtook the Dutchman in the ninth lap. Although it was ultimately Verstappen who secured second place – thanks to Norris’ retirement in the final stages of the race – the world champion acknowledges that the McLaren driver is operating at a completely different level.
Despite Max Verstappen warning his fans after Friday in Zandvoort not to expect a top-five finish, the Dutchman was still able to please the so-called Orange Army with a podium finish. Verstappen came second, behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. The Dutchman thus continued his streak of podium finishes at his home circuit in Zandvoort this year as well.
The Red Bull driver owes his second place in part to Lando Norris’ retirement in the final laps through the dunes. Verstappen was able to overtake the Briton in the opening lap, but he already expected the Papaya driver to pass him again soon. “The start was good,” Verstappen reflects after the race. “When I went on the outside in turn two, with the soft tyre, I went a bit wide. But it worked out anyway.”
Norris on a Different Level
The fact that Norris eventually overtook Verstappen again in the ninth lap was in line with the driver’s expectations. “I didn’t have the confidence at all that I could stay ahead of him,” the world champion continues. “He’s on a completely different level, so there was no point in fighting him.”
