Oscar Piastri won the Dutch Grand Prix and now has a significant lead over Lando Norris who was on track to finish second but suffered an engine failure which could prove pivotal
If he could, Lando Norris would certainly have a do-over and figure out a way to avoid the engine failure which ended his Dutch Grand Prix and threatens to detail his Formula 1 title charge. Instead, the Brit will settle for a burger on his way home.
As he headed to the media pen to fulfil his post-race duties, Norris would have still been processing what had happened. At worst, he was going to finish second behind team-mate Oscar Piastri to ensure the Aussie would not add any more than seven points to the gap between them in the championship.
He might have even done better than that, as he was closing in on his team-mate. But, with 10 laps to go, he smelled smoke and then oil squirted out of his engine, which had blown at the worst possible time and signalled the end of his race.
As is often the case even when things have not gone his way, Norris wore a smile as he appeared in front of the TV cameras. And he quipped: « I just want to have a burger and go home. »
There were positives to take from his performance and pace throughout the race weekend on the Dutch coast but, as he went on to point out, « it didn’t mean anything » in terms of tangible reward for his efforts at Zandvoort.
He said: « The pace is there, I was quick today. It is impossible to overtake here so a good race, and all I was really hoping for, was to stay within five seconds for most of the race and I was happy that I could stay within one-and-a-half or two seconds.
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« It doesn’t look it, but that was an impressive race around here from our side, with the dirty air and how you struggle with the tyres and the temperatures when you’re following.
« It was a positive race, but it didn’t mean anything. I couldn’t get past, Oscar drove a good race and he deserved it today, but it was just not my weekend. I was unlucky yesterday with the fight for pole and unlucky today, but that’s life. I’ll take it on the chin and move on. »
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That rueful smile remained on his face throughout that answer which led to Norris making it clear that he really was feeling the disappointment inside – as had already been made evident in the moments after he had climbed out of his McLaren, headed over to the nearest sand dune and sat down, holding his helmet in his hands.
Norris added: « It’s frustrating and it hurts to lose 18 points today, from second to first a seven-point deficit so it would have been smaller. But I just have to keep fighting and keep doing what I can. I was quick today and I could have fought for a win. If you fight for a win around here, that’s normally a good job. I’ll try to bounce back. I’ve got tough competition so it is never going to be easy, but I’ll make sure I do everything that I can. »
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