After almost a month of inactivity, it’s race weekend! Our very best are back in action after a much-needed break, and the first two practice sessions at Zandvoort made some interesting revelations. Max Verstappen, as expected, topped the time sheet during the first practice sessions. Without exaggerating, the Dutchman is the favorite to win all the races in the current campaign. Although time sheets aren’t a true indication of race and qualifying face, a lot can be revealed through these sessions. This is exactly why the mood changed after FP2, forcing Verstappen to make a sinking confession regarding Lando Norris.

The Brit has been rapid in his new and upgraded MCL60 with two back-to-back podiums. Although McLaren did see a dip in performance right before the summer break during the Belgian GP. However, that is a common feature of F1, as no two tracks are the same. However, Norris’s outing in FP2 on Zandvoort proved the Woking outfit will be in the fight throughout the weekend.

This is exactly what made Verstappen say, “They [McLaren] look quick on any three so we know in qualifying sometimes they can fight us.”

The Dutchman highlighted the ability of the Papaya team to be quick on all three sets of tires. McLaren, with its new upgrades, has looked a threat and would be looking to dethrone Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

Read More: As Max Verstappen’s Threats Get on Christian Horner’s Nerves, Lando Norris Picked as Worthy RB Leader

However, days after flaunting their 100 million dollar weapon, Norris gave himself and his team a stern reality check.

Lando Norris gives himself and McLaren a reality check before going up against the mighty Max Verstappen

The Dutchman, as we have all seen, has been faultless throughout the current campaign so far. Verstappen has dominated in the first 12 races, never finishing below P2 and he looks set to do for the entirety of the 2023 season.

So despite the recent upgrades propelling McLaren to the front of the grid, Norris does not believe beating Verstappen will be an easy task. In fact, despite the MCL60’s new-found performance, Norris believes they will still require a bit of luck to get to Verstappen.

“You’ve got to have a lot of luck or something’s got to happen to Max [Verstappen] from a reliability point of view for it to happen,” said Norris.

This has become a general opinion, as most believe without external intervention, the Dutchman cannot be stopped.

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If Verstappen wins the Dutch GP, he will be one race away from breaking a driver’s longest winning streak record. Will it be the right occasion to start asking the question if he can go all the way?