Despite an early setback, Lando Norris responded in style to inflict a crushing first Dutch Grand Prix defeat upon Max Verstappen. Those pesky race starts came back to haunt Norris again, but after reclaiming the lead from Verstappen on Lap 18, it was smooth sailing from there as Norris went on to win by north of 20 seconds. Statement made for Norris and McLaren! Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari.
After the mixed conditions so far this race weekend, the sun was shining for what was set to be a dry race, with all drivers in the top 10 starting on the medium compound Pirelli tyres. Yuki Tsunoda, P11 on the grid, along with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, went for softs, while it was hard tyres for Kevin Magnussen, starting from the pit lane after taking a new Energy Store and Control Electronics. Norris was on pole after a stellar lap to take pole position by north of three-tenths over Verstappen, but through came Verstappen with a great launch, ahead even before the Turn 1 breaking zone, with Mercedes’ George Russell demoting the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri out of the podium places.
Leclerc muscled his way past Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez up to P5, while Hamilton was on the move as he looked to recover from a three-place grid drop for impeding Perez in qualifying, snatching P12 from Tsunoda at the chicane. Lap 5 of 72 and this opening stint was settling down, Verstappen keeping out of DRS range from Norris, who was doing the same ahea.