NORRIS ‘DRIVING AT THE LEVEL OF A WORLD CHAMPION’ – STELLA

Lando Norris stamped his authority at Zandvoort with a second consecutive win, but this one demanded more than pace. After falling behind Kimi Antonelli at the second standing start, Norris hunted him down on the hard tyre, extracting grip where others couldn't. The decisive pass came with Lewis Hamilton awkwardly ahead—Ferrari's strategy left the seven-time champ out of position—forcing Norris to thread a needle. He did, then pulled clear.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella called it World Champion-level driving. "Something clicked after the start of 2025," Stella said, noting Norris's weekend looked far from victory-caliber until the team unlocked tyre exploitation. The Hungary upgrades are holding, but Monza looms as the real test. Drag and braking remain McLaren weaknesses, and the high-speed temple will expose any cracks. Norris sits 83 points behind Antonelli, but Stella won't entertain championship math—not until they prove the package works where downforce doesn't save them.