As the Formula 1 season heats up, Lando Norris is staying focused on the present, refusing to get caught up in title talk despite his dominant win at the Dutch Grand Prix. The McLaren driver’s statement victory saw him take the chequered flag with a comfortable 22.896-second margin, the largest in a race not won by Max Verstappen since Lewis Hamilton‘s 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix triumph.
Norris’ performance was all the more impressive given his struggles off the line from pole position, but he quickly recovered to pass Verstappen on lap 18 and never looked back. The Briton even managed to set the fastest lap on his final tour, showcasing the pace of his upgraded McLaren MCL38.
However, when questioned by Autosport about his chances of claiming the Formula 1 title, Norris was quick to downplay his prospects. “I’ve been fighting for the championship since the first race of the year. There’s no sudden decision now,” he asserted. “I need to do better. I’ve been working hard the whole year and I’m still 70 points behind Max. So it’s pretty stupid to think of anything at the minute.”
“I don’t care about it at the minute. I’m just focused on one race at a time, so it’s not a question that I need to get asked every single weekend,” he stated.
McLaren‘s dominant display at Zandvoort saw them leave the rest of the pack in their wake, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff acknowledging that the Woking-based squad “annihilated” the competition. As the Formula 1 paddock heads to the Italian GP, Norris remained cautious about his chances of securing back-to-back victories.
“I think anyone could be on top,” he said. “Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, us. Ferrari was quite quick. We probably didn’t expect them to be as good as they were. Maybe Red Bull struggled a bit more.” Norris insisted that McLaren would keep their heads down and focus on the present, rather than getting caught up in speculation about future performances.
For now, the Formula 1 standings show Norris still 70 points adrift of Verstappen, but his recent form suggests he’s a force to be reckoned with. Can he maintain his momentum and close the gap? Only time will tell.
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