It was a strange weekend that Lando Norris experienced in Netherlands. The Briton was coming from a very positive period. In Canada he had experienced the lowest moment of the season, but then he got back up great, taking 3 victories and a second place in the 4 GPs that followed.
From favorite to DNF. The shots that knocked out Norris
Having gone into the summer-break just 9 points behind leader Piastri, the Briton had started the Dutch weekend with every intention of winning and reducing the gap even further. Norris dominates free practice and reaches Q1 as the favorite for pole. He was the fastest both in the first session and in Q2, but just at the crucial moment Piastri worked magic and beat him by just 12 thousandths, taking away pole position. Norris cashed in the first hit. A strong shot and precise blow. 12 thousandths is nothing and it is precisely that trifle that makes everything even more painful.
In the race, he is forced to receive another set of hits. One for each stint. At the start Piastri maintains P1 and starts controlling the race as if nothing had happened, while Lando gets off to a bad start, loses position on Verstappen and is forced to make up for it. Lando will soon get rid of Max, but not being able to reach his teammate and not enter the battle, not even for a second, hurts. Especially after being considered the favorite of the weekend on Friday evening. Series of shots.
The blow that momentarily knocks him out is dealt to him by the power unit, which betrays him with a few laps to go. Norris is down. He sees his teammate win, increasingly world leader, now with a 34 point advantage.
Lando is in pain, but gets up. He's taken a lot of hits, but he can still do it. There are already those who say that Zandvoort can be considered the decisive stage of the 2025 World Cup. In our opinion, no, the decisive event will be next. Norris took many hits, got up, but now he too must be able to respond to the series of attacks he received.
We need an answer to Rocky Balboa
From Lando we need an answer to Rocky Balboa. The well-known boxer, who kept us all stuck on the screens, has never won a match as an absolute dominator. Rocky was a boxer who knew how to cash in, and took some. How many did he take before landing the decisive blows and winning the matches. Norris has collected in this first part of the season and in Zandvoort he has taken a lot, perhaps more than he took in the first part of the world championship.
Now the time has come to also launch some well-placed hooks to continue believing in the world championship, Monza will have to mark the GP of rebirth, the one in which Lando will enter the ring, and will be unstoppable, like Rocky Balboa.
Read in the original language (Italian): Zandvoort mette Norris al tappeto, a Monza serve una risposta degna di Rocky Balboa
Photo: X, Formula1, Internal photo: X, Formula1
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Dutch GP 2025
