McLaren driver Lando Norris has hit back at comments from former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer that he is lucky to still be in contention for the 2025 crown after 14 rounds.

Having won three of the final four races before the summer break, Norris closed the gap to teammate Oscar Piastri to just nine points, with the F1 season resuming this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

During the three-week shutdown, Palmer claimed on an episode of the F1 Nation podcast that Norris was lucky to still be within touching distance of his teammate courtesy of various fortuitous moments on the track.

Palmer, who previously drove for Renault in 2016 and 2017, identified that Norris could have been trailing by 61 points if not for Piastri’s off-track excursion in Melbourne, the Australian’s controversial time penalty at Silverstone and Norris’ unplanned one-stop strategy in Hungary.

“On pretty much all stats and viewing, Piastri has been the better driver so far,” Palmer said.

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Asked about that remarks on Thursday, Norris responded: “I’ve certainly had a little bit of luck. I’ve also been unlucky, but that’s life.

“I can’t choose those things. I’m lucky that I’ve been with McLaren for the last seven years. I could not have been with them for five of those, so I’ve also made good decisions.

“I back myself, I’ve made good decisions along the way and especially this year. I’ve improved as a driver this year.”

He continued: “I’ve had a car that I found a lot trickier to drive – just as much as everyone complains when they have a car that doesn’t suit them or drive as well as what they like – and I made some good steps forward to come back and have some good races.

“I would not have won in Budapest if I didn’t improve on those things myself, and that was not luck. That was hard work, a lot of dedication with my engineers and my team, both at the track and away from it.

“So yes, I’ve had a little bit of luck here and there – everyone needs a bit in their life – but so has probably every other driver at some races. I’ve also made good decisions, kept myself out of trouble, stuck by the rules. All of these things are part of being a racing driver, and at times they’ve earned me points. So that’s also down to me doing a good job.”

Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren with Oscar Piastri. Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Nestled in the dunes just a stone’s throw from the North Sea beach, Zandvoort is famous for two things – its “orange army” of fans and its unpredictable weather.

Last year’s Saturday practice saw a biblical deluge drench fans and cause a fiery crash, as US driver Logan Sargeant nearly totally destroyed his Williams in a high-speed spin.

Showers are forecast throughout the weekend, which may favour home hero Verstappen, known for his skill in wet-weather driving.

Whatever the weather, Dutch fans will be keen to savour the atmosphere while they can: Sunday will be the penultimate race ever staged at Zandvoort.

The Hungary Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday at 11pm AEST.

2025 F1 Drivers’ Standings

1. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 284

2. Lando Norris (GBR) 275

3. Max Verstappen (NED) 187

4. George Russell (GBR) 172

5. Charles Leclerc (MON) 151

6. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 109

7. Kimi Antonelli (ITA) 64

8. Alex Albon (THA) 54

9. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 37

10. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 27

11. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 26

12. Lance Stroll (CAN) 26

13. Isack Hadjar (FRA) 22

14. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 20

15. Liam Lawson (NZL) 20

16. Carlos Sainz (ESP) 16

17. Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA) 14

18. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 10

19. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 8

20. Franco Colapinto (ARG) 0

21. Jack Doohan (AUS) 0