Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen in the Dutch driver’s backyard to ignite his hopes of winning the Formula One world championship.
Norris might have feared the worst after he allowed Verstappen to blast ahead of him following another poor start for the Briton in Zandvoort.
But the McLaren driver silenced 105,000 orange-clad fans when he slipstreamed his way back past their hero on lap 18 of 72 before delivering an emphatic win to cross the line 22.8 seconds clear of Verstappen.
Norris’ triumph marked just the second of his career – arriving 112 days after his maiden victory in Miami – to reduce the championship deficit from 78 points to 70 with nine rounds remaining and 258 points still to play for.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third, one place ahead of Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri. George Russell finished seventh, while Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton drove through the field from 14th to eighth.
Red Bull's struggling second driver Sergio Perez finished in sixth position, meaning the gap in the constructors' championship also narrowed from 42 points to 30.
“It feels amazing,” said Norris. “I wouldn’t say a perfect race because of lap one again but afterwards it was beautiful. The pace was very strong, the car was unbelievably today.
“I could get comfortable, I could push and get past Max which was the main thing, and just go from there. Honestly quite a straightforward race, still tough but very enjoyable.
“From early on, lap five, six, seven I expected Max to start pushing and getting a bit of a gap, but he never did so from that point I knew we were in a really good fight but he seemed to keep dropping off and my pace was getting better,” added Norris.
“It’s a nice feeling, especially when I got past. I could just get comfortable, I could push, I had clean air and that’s always a big help.”
It was the first time since the race returned to the calendar in 2021 that Verstappen had not triumphed at Zandvoort and extended his losing streak this season to five races.
He has cut a strangely disconsolate figure throughout his visit home, at times as gloomy as the Dutch weather that blighted practice and qualifying.
While the other drivers returned from a summer break full of tales of meeting with friends or going to Taylor Swift concerts, Verstappen seemed significantly less joyous.
“You always hope to do better. We had a good start and tried everything we could but it was clear we were not quick enough so I tried to be second today,” said Verstappen, who is looking to make it four world titles in a row.
“I know that we have good starts, so I was quite confident of having another one, and luckily, I did that. I just tried to do my own race and that was my race – I was second today.”
Leclerc was “very surprised” with his third-place after what he admitted had been a tough for days for Ferrari.
“I’m not very often happy with a P3 but with today’s race we can be extremely happy with what we’ve done on a difficult weekend for the team,” said the Monegasque.
“We’ve been struggling from Friday and in the race we found some more pace and executed a perfect strategy.
“At the start of the race I knew it was a real opportunity and know that later on we also had the pace, but the first lap was an opportunity for us to gain one or two positions.
“I went for the pass and it all worked well and never would I have thought I would stand on the podium after such a difficult weekend for the team.”
“At the start of the race I knew it was a real opportunity and know that later on we also had the pace, but the first lap was an opportunity for us to gain one or two positions.
“I went for the pass and it all worked well and never would I have thought I would stand on the podium after such a difficult weekend for the team.”
THREE
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The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Honeymoonish
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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