Lando Norris has turned the tables on Max Verstappen. In the same way that the Dutchman dominantly embarrassed his rivals in 2023, the McLaren driver has done in qualifying at the Dutch GP today. With a heavily upgraded MCL38 under him, Norris took Pole at Zandvoort by 3 and a half tenths (+0.356 to be precise), ending Verstappen’s flawless, 3-year Dutch GP run.

The Red Bull driver struggled for grip and consistency throughout qualifying. “I can’t believe this,” was his radio message in Q2 that summarized the entire session. However, momentarily in Q3, the Orange Army rose to their feet when Verstappen took provisional Pole. But the joy only lasted a few seconds before Norris came all guns blazing and knocked him to P2. If Oscar Piastri had matched Norris, Verstappen would’ve lost the front row as well.

“The whole qualifying, we just lacked a bit of pace,” Verstappen told F1TV in the post-qualifying interview. “I tried the best I could. I am still very happy to be on the front row. It’s very tricky out there with the wind,” he added, explaining his struggles. “You have these gusts of winds coming in, so every single lap feels different. So you can’t really go off a reference as well. But I am happy with second. After yesterday as well, this was a good result.”

When interviewer Jolyon Palmer asked the home hero to elaborate on why the once-mighty RB20 failed to grapple with the undulating Zandvoort circuit, Verstappen replied, “It is how it is at the moment. Not the easiest to drive, but the rest of the lap was solid. Only (Turns) 11 and 12 were a bit difficult. Hopefully, the car is okay tomorrow in the race.”

Elaborating on his expectations from the race, the 3-time champion was very blunt. “We’ll give it a good go. But when you are more than three-tenths behind in qualifying, I think we have to be realistic,” he emphasized. “I’ll just try to have a good race tomorrow.” Though he seems to be accepting Red Bull’s new reality, you cannot rule out a driver who has secured Pole at and won all editions of the Dutch GP since its reintroduction in F1 in 2021. And Lando Norris knows that.

Lando Norris wary of “tough” Max Verstappen threat at the Dutch GP

Lando Norris‘ final Q3 push was a statement lap. Without such a performance, his 78-point gap to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ champion would’ve been unconquerable. But he has set the tone for the second half of 2024, truly establishing himself as a championship contender. However, his race starts have been his weakness this year, failing to maintain P1 in Lap 1.

When Jolyon Palmer used those instances in Budapest & Barcelona to ask him about his expectations, he replied with a grin, “I don’t know why you’re saying that. But I’m excited for tomorrow. I’m sure it’s going to be tough. Max has been really quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he’s second and he’s going to be putting up a fight, especially at his home race. So looking forward to it.”

Race day in Zandvoort is going to be a rollercoaster. Reports of the Dutch GP losing its place on the F1 calendar after 2025 only add to the stakes for Verstappen. His home race might never return to F1 during his career. The home hero has an uphill task on his hands – defending from Piastri and overtaking Norris. Unless McLaren botches their strategy as they did in Hungary, they could seal a 1-2 at the Dutch GP