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Lando Norris was voted Driver of the Day after producing a superb performance to win the final Dutch GP for McLaren at Zandvoort on Sunday, August 23. He had to work for victory after starting from the front row alongside championship leader Kimi Antonelli as the Mercedes driver initially took the advantage at the start, with Norris unable to reclaim the lead immediately. As the race developed, however, the 26-year-old remained firmly in contention and the Brit kept the pressure on, buying time for McLaren’s strategists to make a shrewd pit call. The defending Formula 1 world champion eventually closed to within striking distance of the championship leader as the Mercedes began struggling for rear tyre performance. And the crucial moment came on Lap 54 as Norris swept around the outside of Antonelli to take the “true” lead with Lewis Hamilton extending his stint, before completing another decisive move on the Ferrari into Turn 11. Upon establishing himself at the front, he never looked in doubt – even after a virtual safety car shortly afterwards presented a difficult strategic situation as he was unable to pit before racing resumed. More from the Dutch GP Catch up with Total Motorsport’s latest Dutch GP coverage, including Lando Norris’ dramatic victory at Zandvoort, the full race classification, Max Verstappen’s Lap 1 crash, and the latest on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future. Despite that setback, the McLaren driver maintained control when racing resumed and managed his advantage over the two Mercedes cars and he ultimately crossed the line to secure his second consecutive victory. The result moved him 83 points behind Antonelli in the championship standings and his victory ensured that Norris ended the final Dutch GP on top, while his performance earned him the Driver of the Day award from the fans with 19% of the vote. Norris takes back-to-back wins Norris has backed up his dominant Hungarian GP victory with another commanding performance at Zandvoort, taking back-to-back wins and suddenly putting genuine pressure on Mercedes in the championship battle. He has now won the last two Grands Prix, transforming the picture after McLaren appeared to be trailing the Silver Arrows for much of the opening half of the2026 F1 season. With Kimi Antonelli still leading the championship, Norris remains 83 points behind the Mercedes driver in a McLaren that appears increasingly competitive, with 11 Grands Prix remaining to close the gap. But his recent surge is beginning to resemble the charge Max Verstappen produced in 2025, when the Red Bull driver dramatically clawed back a huge deficit to put himself into title contention. What does he make of it? “It sounds boring, but one race at a time,” Norris told Sky Sports F1, of the title fight. “I know a lot of people say it now but it’s the truth of it. “There’s no point thinking that far ahead. I need to concentrate now on having a nice little break [before Monza]. Obviously two great weekends but we just need to reset and to learn a much as we can. “I think there is still plenty of things we need to do better and can do better if we want to fight for a championship. I’m very pleased with the team and how much work with everyone is doing. “But it’s harder than I would like and I would like a bigger gap!”