McLaren’s Lando Norris claims 4th career pole as Sir Lewis hits trouble

24th August 2024

Seven times world champ starts 14th after a day of drama at Zandvoort

Mercedes' Sir Lewis Hamilton / Photo Credit: Damian Hall

McLaren's Lando Norris snatched pole position with a blistering lap time of 1:09.673, ending Max Verstappen’s dominance at Zandvoort, reports Damian Hall.

The Briton, returning from the summer break with a heavily upgraded car, delivered a masterclass in qualifying, outpacing the championship leader by three-tenths of a second.

Norris and McLaren returned to the grid with six key upgrades, including a revised suspension, floor edge, and a new high downforce rear wing. These enhancements paid off handsomely, as Norris stormed to his fourth career pole.

Reflecting on his performance, Norris said: “We’ve got some upgrades on the car for the first time in a while, and everything is working well. I’m excited for tomorrow. It’s nice to be back and start with a pole.”

Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri, also impressed securing third on the grid and setting McLaren up for a strong showing in the race.

“I just didn’t do a good enough job, really,” Piastri admitted, but he remained optimistic, adding: “The pace looks good in the long run, and hopefully, we can have a good day tomorrow. There are some good things on offer [for the race].”

Meanwhile, Verstappen, who has won every race at Zandvoort since its return to the F1 calendar in 2021, found himself on the back foot. Despite splitting the McLarens, the Red Bull driver acknowledged his struggles.

 “The whole qualifying, we lacked a bit of pace,” Verstappen said. “I’m happy with second, but we’ve got work to do.”

Mercedes’ George Russell secured fourth place, but the biggest surprise came from his teammate, Sir Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion, who looked strong in Q1 – setting the fastest time and conserving a set of tires for the final shootout – was shockingly eliminated in Q2. Despite having a tyre advantage for Q3, Hamilton couldn’t string together a competitive lap in the second session and will start a disappointing 14th.

As the drivers prepare for Sunday’s race, all eyes will be on Norris to see if he can convert his pole into a victory and on Verstappen to see if he can reclaim his home turf.

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