ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — Lando Norris did not want to waste any time.With a new set of tires, the reigning Formula 1 world champion had quickly caught Kimi Antonelli, the current championship leader and heir presumptive to Norris’s crown.Overtaking around Zandvoort, the tight, twisting track hosting its final Dutch Grand Prix, is not easy, meaning Norris had to grab any opportunity he could.At Turn 1, Norris saw Antonelli move to the inside to defend the position, only for the McLaren driver to hang his car around the outside and, thanks to his fresher rubber, shoot clear for the net lead. Norris made another move on Lewis Hamilton, who still had to pit again, later in the same lap to regain a lead that he wouldn’t relinquish.This was a big win for Norris. In Antonelli, he’d defeated the fastest driver and fastest team thus far in 2026 in a straight fight, and in doing so threatened to tear up the narrative ahead of the title run-in through the coming months.“Let’s keep pushing!” Norris told his team on the radio after crossing the line to win. “Thank you for the hard work. Let’s keep bringing upgrades, let’s keep bringing performance, please. The fight’s still on, let’s keep going.”“Sure is, mate,” replied Will Joseph, his race engineer. “Two in a row, let’s make it many more.”It was an indication that, despite being fourth in the championship and 83 points behind Antonelli, there is still hope for Norris to defend his crown.Based on recent form, he’s going to be a real threat.McLaren has chipped away at Mercedes’ pace in recent races, bringing new parts to its car and, crucially, gaining a fuller understanding of the quirks of the very same engine as its rival. As a customer, McLaren gets the same parts as Mercedes, but knowing how to get the best out of the engine has been a greater challenge.Progress with the car put Norris in a position to win in Hungary ahead of the summer break, with a classy display on a weekend where Mercedes could not match McLaren for pace. But the teams were far closer in performance at Zandvoort and, after a comfortable victory for George Russell in Saturday’s sprint race as Norris faded to third with worn tires, the weekend seemed to be swinging in Mercedes’ favor.Norris took a brilliant pole position on Saturday, admitting he’d taken more risk in a number of corners and found a chunk of time, but even then he seemed unsure about the prospect of keeping Russell and Antonelli behind. The McLaren car was stronger through the high-speed corners, which also meant it would wear its tires faster and make for a slower overall pace through longer stints.Lando Norris leads Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli during the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. (Clive Mason / Getty Images)Norris’s best chance of winning seemed to hinge on the start and keeping hold of the lead, such is the difficulty in overtaking at Zandvoort. So when Antonelli dived up the inside on the second standing start following the red flag to seize the lead, it seemed possible the Mercedes may disappear into the distance. A couple of seconds’ buffer in the opening stint could have grown if McLaren’s same tire-wear issues from the sprint returned.