P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lando Norris topped both Friday sessions at the Dutch Grand Prix, but a surprise threat was lurking the shadows.
Lando Norris has acknowledged Aston Martin’s unexpected competitiveness against McLaren during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, especially after Friday’s practice sessions at Zandvoort. Despite Norris setting the pace in both sessions, Aston’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso showed strong performance, with Alonso even finishing just 0.087s behind Norris in FP2. McLaren found Aston Martin to be quicker than their usual competitors Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes, indicating the progress the team has made since the beginning of the season. Norris noted that while they made improvements throughout the day, Aston Martin and Alonso were impressive, making the competition tighter than they would prefer. Norris highlighted that Aston Martin’s speed in FP2 is not a surprise, with the team consistently showing strong performances, but emphasized the need to focus on their own progress amidst the challenging competition.
