Lando Norris has made it two wins in a row, taking the Dutch Grand Prix after his victory at Hungary just before the summer break. The McLaren driver absolutely dominated Zandvoort, finishing over 10 seconds clear of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and putting on a masterclass in what's becoming a recurring pattern. With these back-to-back victories, McLaren have sent a pretty clear message to the rest of the paddock, especially to Mercedes who've ruled the early part of the season.

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Both Antonelli and George Russell are openly admitting that McLaren have moved into the top spot as the team to beat right now. Antonelli was surprisingly candid in his assessment after the race, saying Mercedes have dropped to second or third best on the grid. The Hungary upgrade package McLaren brought was already massive, but the second half of that package arriving at Zandvoort has taken them to another level entirely. That's a brutal reality check for a Mercedes squad that won the first six races of the season.

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Russell echoed those sentiments during the post-race press conference, though he tried to add some nuance by pointing out that high-degradation circuits seem to play right into McLaren's hands. He reckoned the tyre wear at Hungary and Zandvoort has really suited their package, particularly benefiting Norris who's always been sharp in those demanding conditions. But the bottom line for Russell was clear, he called them the team to beat right now, with only a slight caveat that things might change at lower-wear circuits like Monza coming up.

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The statistics paint a grim picture for Mercedes fans. Norris has now taken pole position at the last two grands prix, snapping Mercedes' incredible 10-race qualifying unbeaten run. Meanwhile, in the championship battle, Antonelli still sits 59 points clear at the top, but Norris has carved into the gap from 83 points down to something much more threatening. Mercedes' constructors' lead over Ferrari has stretched to 87 points, but with McLaren's current form, that advantage could evaporate quickly if Norris keeps this momentum rolling.

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