Formula One: McLaren's Lando Norris wins Dutch Grand Prix, Narrows gap in championship

Lando Norris of McLaren won the Dutch Grand Prix, defeating home favourite Max Verstappen and earning his second career chequered flag. This victory narrowed Verstappen's lead in the world championship to 70 points. Verstappen finished second despite strong support from local fans at the Zandvoort circuit.
Norris's victory highlighted the improved performance of the McLaren following recent upgrades.The race began with Norris displaying his oft-questioned starting ability. He was slow off the line, allowing Verstappen to take a 0.9-second lead into the second lap, much to the delight of the home crowd. Verstappen even recorded the fastest lap in lap two, creating a significant gap between his Red Bull and Norris's McLaren.
However, the McLaren was the fastest car all weekend. Norris began reducing Verstappen's lead and by lap 17, he was just a few tenths of a second behind, while Verstappen complained about his tyres' lack of grip."I can't go faster. The car is not responding to my inputs," Verstappen told his engineers as Norris took the lead by overtaking on the outside at turn one a lap later.
Norris then widened his lead to more than four seconds.Deciding to change his tyres, Verstappen pitted on lap 25, prompting Norris to follow suit a lap later. Despite Norris's pit stop taking 0.6 seconds longer, he emerged five seconds ahead of Verstappen and posted the fastest lap on his new tyres. By lap 40, Norris had increased his lead to over 10 seconds.Norris maintained his position, cruising to a victory margin of 22.896 seconds.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc narrowly claimed the third podium spot after a close fight with Norris's teammate, Oscar Piastri. Red Bull's Sergio Perez finished sixth, reducing the constructors' championship gap.The F1 circuit will next head to Italy's Monza track for the 16th round of 24. Verstappen's recent performance has raised some concerns, as he has not won a Grand Prix since Barcelona in June, marking his longest winless streak since 2020. Inputs from AFP.