Lando Norris’ recent run of form has caught the attention of McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who believes the reigning Formula 1 champion is showing greater confidence on track. Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort for his second consecutive victory, having also won in Hungary. His victory was particularly notable because he had to regain the lead after losing it at a restart and then pass Kimi Antonelli. Stella believes Norris’ approach to racing has matured, with the Briton becoming more comfortable about choosing when to attack rather than forcing every battle.
“The manoeuvre to pass Antonelli I think is a really good demonstration of that. He is demonstrating more self-confidence,” Stella said. He added, “This is interesting and I quite like it, sometimes it is not demonstrated by being the most aggressive. Sometimes you are self-confident when you think like ‘you know what, I’m not going to have a fight now because I may lose in this fight. It’s a very long race, see you at the end’.” Stella also said, “I think assertiveness and confidence are probably the two characteristics that he has improved the most from a non-technical, non-operational point of view.” Reflecting on Norris’ continued progress, he added, “I think this approach has led Lando to continuous improvements. It’s almost like I see Lando stronger and stronger race by race.”
Lando Norris wins dramatic Dutch Grand Prix as Max Verstappen crashes out and Kimi Antonelli finishes second
Lando Norris claimed his second consecutive Formula 1 victory with a dramatic win at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. Starting from pole, the McLaren driver initially held the lead, but the race was quickly thrown into chaos when home favourite Max Verstappen crashed on the opening lap. Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull at the final corner on the damp track and hit the barriers, bringing out the red flag. He was able to walk away unhurt.
After the restart, Kimi Antonelli jumped ahead of Norris and controlled the race for a long period. Norris, however, stayed close and eventually fought his way back into contention. With 15 laps remaining, he made a bold move around the outside of Turn 1 to retake the lead from Antonelli. A late Virtual Safety Car added another twist, with Antonelli pitting for fresh tyres while Norris stayed out. Mercedes later allowed Antonelli past George Russell, who eventually secured third place. Norris crossed the finish line 11.536 seconds ahead of Antonelli, with Russell 15.906 seconds behind in third. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, followed by Charles Leclerc, while Oscar Piastri was sixth. The victory keeps Norris’ title hopes alive, although Antonelli remains comfortably ahead in the championship.
