Toto Wolff claims Lando Norris ‘ANNIHILATED’ his competition during ultra-impressive Dutch GP triumph

Lando Norris operated in a league of his own during the 72-lap race around the Zandvoort racing circuit.

Toto Wolff claims Lando Norris ‘ANNIHILATED’ his competition during ultra-impressive Dutch GP triumph

Lando Norris and Toto Wolff (Via: Imago)

McLaren’s Lando Norris has got the world talking about him. He amassed an impressive victory at the recent 2024 Dutch GP and since then, he’s the driver that everyone is talking about, be it the fans, the media, or the rival teams.

In line with this, Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff has also not shied away from showering praise on Lando Norris. The 24-year-old triumphed in the 72-lap Zandvoort event by a mammoth margin of over 22 seconds.

YouTube video

Moreover, once he passed Max Verstappen, he simply operated in a league of his own.

FS Video
I think McLaren has proven in the past that since they brought upgrades in Austria last year to the car, that they landed spot on and that was just very impressive to see [in the race]. I mean, he's [Lando] basically annihilated all of the competition with that fastest lap at the end, with a 42-lap hard tyre and a 20-second gap.
Toto Wolff via Racingnews365

Norris has put the whole F1 grid on notice with his mighty performance at the Dutch GP. While most of the teams have no chance of getting the better of the Brit and McLaren, Red Bull could pull off surprises going forward, if they get their act together.

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Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Christian Horner

Max Verstappen has the driver’s championship ‘under control’

While Toto Wolff is impressed by Lando Norris’ exploits at the Dutch GP, he also feels the Driver’s Championship is still under Max Verstappen’s control. The Dutchman is leading the title race by 70 points over Norris.

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

The ongoing campaign has only nine races remaining on the calendar.

In the drivers' championship, I think, Max to a certain degree has it under control still. But it will be exciting to see whether there is a change of powers, and how much can we participate in that. Because we were able [to fight] in the last few races, and I think if we would have had a car that was about normal [in Zandvoort], where would we have ended up?
Toto Wolff via the same interview

The fight for the 2024 Constructors Championship has turned into a four-way brawl between Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. The Brackley-based team has triumphed in three races so far but going forward, they can’t afford slip-ups like Zandvoort.

Next up on the Formula 1 calendar is the Italian Grand Prix, slated to take place this week at the super-fast Autodromo Nazionale Monza racing circuit. Mercedes will ideally try to end up on the podium with both its cars.

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