Rosberg warns Mercedes as Norris emerges as F1’s ‘guy to beat’
Norris turns momentum into authority
Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes should be “worried” by Lando Norris’s pace after the McLaren driver converted pole position into a commanding Dutch Grand Prix victory at Zandvoort on Sunday.
Norris followed his win in Hungary before the summer break with a second consecutive triumph, securing back-to-back victories for the first time in nine months. The result also strengthened the impression that McLaren’s major upgrade package, introduced at the Hungaroring, has transformed the competitive picture.
The British driver now trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 83 points, but the title fight has taken on a different shape. Antonelli admitted after the race that Mercedes may now be only the second- or even third-quickest team, while Norris insisted that his result was not simply a product of the car’s performance.
That distinction mattered at Zandvoort. Norris started from pole but lost the lead to Antonelli at the restart after Max Verstappen crashed at the end of the opening lap. On a circuit known for making overtaking difficult, Norris later produced the decisive pass on the Mercedes driver before pulling clear to win by 11.5 seconds.
Mercedes facing a difficult development race
Rosberg, the 2016 world champion and a former Mercedes driver, was particularly struck by Norris’s performance on the hard tyres.
“Lando’s pace on those hards, he was seven or eight tenths a lap quicker than George [Russell] in a similar situation,” Rosberg told Sky Sports F1. “Lando was absolutely flying out there. It was unbelievable the speed.”
For Rosberg, the concern extends beyond one result. He argued that McLaren is now the benchmark and is developing its car faster than any rival, leaving Mercedes facing a demanding run-in.
“Mercedes is going to be worried now by this pace from McLaren because they’re the team to beat now,” he said. “This could be a really tough end to the season for Mercedes. It really could.”
The shift is also reflected in the latest championship narrative, following Antonelli’s admission that Mercedes is no longer the fastest team. His comments add weight to Rosberg’s assessment and underline the pressure on Mercedes as the season resumes.
‘A world champion’s drive’
Rosberg praised Norris’s recovery after losing the lead and dismissed the idea that Zandvoort prevents meaningful overtaking.
“Who says you can’t overtake at Zandvoort? We saw so many great overtakes,” he said. “A thrilling race and a world champion’s drive by Lando.”
The result builds directly on McLaren’s recent surge, which was already evident in Norris’s warning that McLaren still needed more to fight for the championship. With Norris now described by Rosberg as “the guy to beat”, the remaining races carry renewed significance for both McLaren’s title hopes and Mercedes’ ability to respond.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.