Norris ‘refreshed’ while Verstappen ‘fights for resumption’

After a pleasant summer break, Lando Norris goes into this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix “refreshed” and “ready for battle”.

The McLaren driver comes to Zandvoort second in the drivers' championship and 78 points behind Verstappen. A win for the Red Bull driver this weekend would likely be enough to end any realistic title chances Norris had.

Norris is enjoying his strongest F1 season to date and looked competitive on almost every lap, although Oscar Piastri outpaced him in Hungary and Belgium.

McLaren is in an incredible position to further reduce Red Bull's lead in the Constructors' Championship, which currently stands at 42 points.

To take the crown from Verstappen, the Briton still has to compete in a staggering ten races. And Norris needs several more wins to even have a chance.

Norris came close to several victories this season, but his first win at the Miami Grand Prix remained his only F1 triumph.

Zandvoort is a circuit where McLaren is expected to perform strongly, with the MCL38 showing outstanding performances on all types of circuits prior to the summer break.

If Norris can win in the Netherlands, the title dynamics in both championships will change.

“We're back! I had a great time over the summer holidays,” said Norris. “It's always good to take some time off and focus on spending time with family and friends.”

“I feel refreshed and ready for the last ten races of the year. I'm looking forward to the Dutch Grand Prix. It's a good race to start the second half of the season.”

“There are always a lot of fans in the crowd, which creates a great atmosphere. It's also fun to drive on this track.”

“Hopefully we can pick up where we left off and continue to fight for wins and podiums.”