Lando Norris retired from second place with an oil leak as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri took a controlled victory in an incident-strewn Dutch Grand Prix.
The Australian’s seventh victory in 13 races this season, in which he has been the model of coolness and consistency, extends his championship lead to 34 points.
Norris lost second to Max Verstappen on the first lap, with a bold and aggressive move by the Dutchman at Turn Three, but pressured Piastri throughout after reclaiming the place a few laps later.
Piastri was always in control and Norris was on course for a comfortable second place only for his car to stop in a cloud of smoke with seven laps to go.
The dramatic turn of events at the end of a chaotic race featuring three safety cars and multiple crashes and incidents could be decisive in the private title fight between Piastri and Norris.
Red Bull’s Verstappen inherited second place, and Norris’ retirement elevated French rookie Isack Hadjar, 20, to an outstanding first career podium finish for Racing Bulls.
A huge blow for Norris
Norris sat on the dunes beside the seaside Zandvoort circuit, helmet on, with his head in his hands after climbing out of his stricken McLaren, as he digested the ramifications of his retirement.
The Briton had been poised for second place behind Piastri, who had controlled the race consummately from pole position throughout a series of incidents, including briefly threatening rain.
That in itself would have been a setback to Norris, who had arrived in the Netherlands after winning three of the past four races.
But his second retirement of the year – following crashing out of the Canadian Grand Prix in June after hitting the back of his team-mate’s car – has dealt a body blow to his hopes.
A 34-point lead is well over one clear victory, and it will be hard work for Norris to claw back that deficit on a man who has led the championship since the fifth race of the season in Saudi Arabia and is the model of solidity.
Mercedes, which supplies McLaren’s engines, said they did not yet know whether the leak was on the car or engine side.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said it was “unclear” what had caused the failure. (BBC)
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