Lando Norris surprised Max Verstappen ‘never pushed’ to fight for Dutch GP victory

Lando Norris was expecting a closer fight with Max Verstappen after he regained the lead during the Dutch GP.

Lando Norris surprised Max Verstappen ‘never pushed’ to fight for Dutch GP victory

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)

F1 is finally back from the summer break in Zandvoort. The Dutch GP was a rather clean race with no major on-track incidents. Nevertheless, Lando Norris showcased his brilliance as he clinched a dominant win in Max Verstappen‘s backyard. Norris admitted that he was expecting a closer battle with Verstappen during the race.

Lando Norris started the race from pole position but lost the lead to Max Verstappen at the race start. However, the British driver regained first place shortly afterwards and stayed there till the chequered flag. Norris claimed that from the early part of the race, he was waiting for Verstappen to start pushing. As such, the McLaren driver was surprised that the reigning world champion ‘never’ pushed for the race lead.

I think from quite early on from Lap 5, 6, 7 I expected Max to start pushing on and he never did.
Lando Norris said post-race
YouTube video

Moreover, this allowed Lando Norris to extend his lead over the course of the Grand Prix. The British driver highlighted that his pace kept improving while Verstappen was struggling to keep up. Norris labled this as a ‘nice feeling’ after the race.

FS Video
His pace was dropping off and mine was improving. It was a nice feeling!
Lando Norris added
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Lando Norris claims McLaren MCL38 felt ‘unbelievable’ at Zandvoort

Lando Norris dominated the entire weekend with pole position and the race victory. Although, the Briton highlighted that it wasn’t a perfect race after losing the lead at the start. However, Norris reckoned that the race was ‘beautiful’ afterwards. The McLaren driver insisted that the car was ‘unbelievable’ as he felt comfortable throughout the Grand Prix.

Lando Norris
Lando Norris (via IMAGO)
I wouldn't say a perfect race cus of lap 1 again. Afterwards it was beautiful. The pace was very strong, the car was unbelievable today. I could get comfortable and I could push, and get past Max.
Lando Norris stated

Certainly, Lando Norris is glad to finally take his second win of the season. The McLaren driver will gain some much-needed confidence as he tries to fight Verstappen for the world title. However, it remains to be seen how things pan out for the Briton in the upcoming races.

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