Lando Norris Claims Pole for Dutch Grand Prix

McLaren driver Lando Norris secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday, edging out local favorite Max Verstappen in an exciting qualifying session.

Norris set the fastest lap with a time of 1 minute 9.673 seconds, while Verstappen’s Red Bull came in second at 1 minute 10.029 seconds, despite the windy and damp conditions on the Zandvoort circuit.

Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate, will start in third place on the grid, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell in fourth.

Verstappen acknowledged the challenges posed by the conditions, saying, “We lacked a bit of pace. I’m still happy to be on the front row. It’s tricky out there with the wind.” He added, “I’m happy with second. After yesterday, this was a good result.”

The Dutch Grand Prix will mark Verstappen’s 200th Grand Prix race, but not everything went his way during his home event. Although he has won all three races held in the Netherlands since the circuit’s return in 2021 and has always started from pole position, this time he struggled in practice, finishing fifth and expressing concerns about his Red Bull’s speed with no clear solution in sight.

After dominating the 2023 world championship with 19 race wins, Verstappen has claimed seven of the first 10 races in 2024, leading many to expect another dominant season. However, he is currently experiencing a rare dry spell, with no victories in the last four races—his longest winless streak since 2020.

Despite this, Verstappen maintains a commanding 78-point lead in the drivers’ championship over Norris, who has acknowledged the challenge of closing the gap on the Dutchman.

“I’m not expecting anything easy, that’s for sure,” Norris said to reporters after the qualifying session.