Lando Norris has done it again. After winning the previous round, Norris made it back to back victories with a win at Zandvoort in a race that seemingly had everything: a massive Max Verstappen crash, a red flag, multiple Virtual Safety Cars, teammates making contact, strategy gambles and a 19 year old Kimi Antonelli fighting at the very front.
Max Verstappen’s Home Race Ends in Disaster
One of the biggest moments came when Max Verstappen suffered a massive crash, bringing out the red flag and ending his home Grand Prix prematurely.
With Verstappen out of the picture, the complexion of the race completely changed. What followed was an unpredictable battle at the front involving Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Kimi Antonelli Makes His Presence Known
Antonelli may not have won the race, but he produced one of the performances of the weekend.
Starting P3, the 19 year old immediately showed his aggression by moving into P2 on the opening start. When the race was restarted, Antonelli attacked again, this time going from P2 to P1.
That is exactly what you want to see from a young driver. Two starts presented Antonelli with two opportunities to gain a position, and he capitalized on both.
Antonelli would eventually find himself in a three way battle for the lead with Norris and Hamilton, showing that he was not simply benefiting from the chaos around him. He had legitimate front running pace.
Strategy Turns the Race Upside Down
The race changed again when Esteban Ocon stopped on track, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Most of the major contenders took the opportunity to pit, while Norris and George Russell stayed out, creating a completely different strategic picture at the front.
Mercedes would later invert its cars, putting Antonelli ahead of Russell. Shortly afterward, the Williams teammates made contact with one another, triggering another VSC and adding yet another twist to an already chaotic afternoon.
Through all of the interruptions and strategy changes, Norris remained in position to capitalize.
Norris Gets It Done Again
When everything finally settled, it was Lando Norris who crossed the line first, securing his second consecutive Grand Prix victory.
Antonelli finished an impressive P2, while Russell recovered to complete the podium in P3.
Russell deserves credit for salvaging a podium after coming under significant pressure earlier in the race, but Antonelli once again showed exactly why he currently leads the championship. At just 19 years old, he showed aggression at the starts, composure while leading and enough pace to battle established Grand Prix winners at the front.
Final Thoughts
Zandvoort delivered chaos from beginning to end, but Norris once again emerged on top.
Back to back victories are exactly the type of momentum a driver wants to build, and Norris is beginning to put together an impressive run of form.
For Mercedes, a double podium is an excellent team result, and Antonelli’s P2 keeps the championship leader in a strong position. Behind him, the battle has become even tighter, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton now tied for P2 in the championship.
Final Podium:
- Lando Norris
- Kimi Antonelli
- George Russell
Norris leaves Zandvoort with another victory. Mercedes leaves with two cars on the podium, while the championship battle behind Antonelli continues to tighten.
And wow, were my predictions off this weekend. I had George Russell winning with Max Verstappen finishing P2, and neither prediction came particularly close to happening. That’s racing for you. You win some predictions and completely whiff on others. We’ll take this one on the chin and go again in two weeks.
What did you think of the Dutch Grand Prix? Make sure to like and subscribe to Ethical Sports Takes for more F1 coverage and sports takes. See you in two weeks! IN MONZA !!!
Leave a Reply