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windsor sees big difference in tyres at mclaren and red bull at zandvoort

Norris annoyed Verstappen: 'That was very disconcerting for Max'

26 August at 08:40
Last update 26 August at 09:23
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  • Corwin Kunst

Peter Windsor did not expect Lando Norris to win the Dutch Grand Prix with such a big lead over Max Verstappen. The F1 journalist and former team manager is surprised that the McLaren is so good on its tyres, whereas Verstappen struggled with tyre wear in comparison.

Night and day difference in tyre management 

As the race leader, it is easier to manage your tyres as you are driving in clean air, meaning you do not have to worry about what those behind you are doing. Verstappen could only take advantage of around 15 clean laps before Norris passed him like a rocket ship. The 24-year-old Briton disappeared into the horizon after that, winning by over 20 seconds.

"Lando just sat there over the first 15 laps. Probably annoying for Max at this point because he was leading his Dutch Grand Prix and by all accounts he should be pulling away if this was the old Red Bull that we've known and loved over the last few years, but not the case," Windsor began. "That orange car was just filling his mirrors throughout the lap. That would have been very disconcerting for Max. After 15 laps the tyre deg set in on the Red Bull and Lando just breezed past."  

All credit to Norris: 'McLaren was too good'

Worrying for Verstappen, then, as the tyre degradation for second-placed Norris logically should perhaps have been a lot higher. "McLaren was just so good on the way it used its tyres and the Red Bull eating into its tyres much more and Max at one point describing the grip even when he was on the medium tyre as dumb," he explained.

According to the 72-year-old, the fact that the overtake on Verstappen was relatively easy for Norris doesn't change how impressive his victory was. "Easy pass and then just pulled away. Max was close enough to be in the DRS for two laps and after that, it was just goodbye. Max came in first, Lando came in the following lap just to cover him and that was it." Norris pulled out a decent gap before the pitstops, lapping faster than his championship rival almost every single time.

"So a sensational win for Lando Norris and for McLaren," Windsor concluded.

This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon

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