ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (Reuters) -Lando Norris suggested it would take some magic, or strong strategy, to stop McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri stretching his Formula One lead from pole position in Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix.

Australian Piastri has a slender nine-point advantage but can hope to take that back into double points at seaside Zandvoort where overtaking is always tricky and starting on pole a big benefit.

Norris, also on the front row, has an even tougher job against a rival driving the only other car that is exactly the same as his and who knows the game plan.

The Briton knows it can be done after starting on pole last year, losing out at the start to Red Bull's local hero Max Verstappen and then passing on lap 18 on his way to eventual victory, but he said it would be different this time.

"No offence to Max, he was in a much slower car last year (than the current McLaren), so that helps a lot," Norris, who was a mere twelve-thousandths of a second slower than Piastri on Saturday, told reporters.

"Oscar’s in a much quicker car this year and the hardest guy to overtake is your teammate. It’s going to take some magic or some good strategy or incredible tyre saving or something.

"It’s normally pretty difficult to overtake in the first place, it's even harder to do that behind your teammate. I'll see what I can dream of tonight."

In Hungary, the last race before the August break, Norris benefited from a strategy call that took him to victory on a one-stop while Piastri pitted twice.

At Silverstone in July, Norris won his home British GP after Piastri was given a 10-second penalty for braking sharply behind the safety car, dropping him behind his teammate.

Norris has won three of the last four races but still trails Piastri 6-5 on wins for a season dominated by the Woking-based team.

Sunday could see McLaren celebrate a fifth successive one-two finish.

"I would have loved to be on pole. I think that’s the thing that would have made me the happiest. But it’s been close all weekend," said Norris, who was quickest in all three practice sessions.

"You just look at the results and I’ve been ahead. But I easily could have been behind by just losing half a tenth or a tenth here and there. So, it’s not like I’ve dominated it.

"I’ve just been ever so slightly ahead and it’s just switched the other way around for quali. But I still am confident for the race pace."

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Clare Fallon)