Lando Norris is the new Max Verstappen. The McLaren driver gave the reigning champion a taste of his own medicine by dominantly winning the Dutch GP by over 22 seconds. McLaren’s MCL38 was installed with the second round of heavy upgrades (the first round at the Miami GP, which Norris also won) and was too strong for Red Bull’s RB20 to even near. And that’s where Verstappen lost the chance to achieve an iconic feat.

This Dutch GP was the 3-time champion’s 200th F1 race. What better way to set the stage for success than doing it on home soil? Unfortunately, McLaren was the favorite to win and Lando Norris emphatically converted his Pole position to victory at Zandvoort. Though the Briton lost the lead off the start, he reclaimed it in Lap 18, with his Dutch rival eventually settling for P2.

As a result, Verstappen lost his only chance to win his 200th F1 race. Only 7 F1 champions in F1 history have reached the 200th race start mark and only 5 of those have won on those occasions, namely Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel, in that order. The reigning champion could’ve entered this elite list if it wasn’t for Norris maximizing McLaren’s upgrades.

More interestingly, Verstappen has prevented two racers from the Red Bull family, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo, from winning their 200th F1 races, both in 2021. So Norris has just returned the favor. But it is very surprising to see Red Bull’s pace fall so steeply compared to the start of this season, when the Dutchman won 7 out of the first 10 races.

Max Verstappen takes a dig at Red Bull’s second-place-worthy pace

Within half a season, McLaren has turned the tables on Red Bull. There are several factors contributing to the Milton Keynes outfit’s downfall, with tech guru Adrian Newey’s exit taking center stage. At Zandvoort, Max Verstappen’s 3-and-a-half-tenths to Lando Norris in qualifying was ominous. The home hero had set low expectations after such an embarrassment, and he was correct.

The RB20’s struggles were evident early on at the Dutch GP. In Lap 17, Verstappen started complaining about his tires. “My tires are just numb. They don’t grip,” he said on the team radio, sounding fed up. In Lap 24, the problem spread from just the tires to the entire car not responding how he would’ve preferred. “I can’t go faster. The car doesn’t respond to my inputs,” he complained after Norris piled a near-4-second lead in 6 laps after retaking the lead.

However, Verstappen was very calm and smiley during the post-race interviews conducted by Giedo van der Garde. “You always try to better,” he said. “I mean, we had a good start. We tried everything we could today, but it was quite clear that we are not quick enough. So I tried to be second today,” he added, hiding his pain behind a smile.

After the Dutch GP, Norris has reduced the gap in the drivers’ standings to Verstappen to 70, also having taken the fastest lap point in the final lap. Next week in Monza, the 3-time champion will have an even tougher challenge with Ferrari expected to up their game on home soil. Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen. The championship battle is on again in F1.