Zandvoort always delivers a thrilling and action-packed race, and today was no different. Back from the summer break, Formula 1 started the second half of the season with a bang.
Ahead of the final five lights at Zandvoort, the circuit saw a huge downpour of rain. The rain raised concerns of a wet track before the race began, but the grid opted to start the on slick tyres. To make sure the surface was safe for the drivers, the formation lap behind the safety car was critical. This lap highlighted which areas of the circuit had retained water and which areas were drying quickly.
Disastrous Start for the Final Dutch GP
When the main event finally got underway, it was Lando Norris who got the stronger start of the two front row drivers. George Russell did not get the start he needed, immediately losing grid position to his teammate Kimi Antonelli.
The end of the first lap ended in complete disaster for home hero Max Verstappen. Coming out of the final corner, the Dutchman lost grip to the rear of his car, resulting in a huge crash into the barrier. Debris had scattered the track, and very quickly a red flag was called. A scary moment at the start of this race for everyone watching, but Verstappen announced that he was okay.
The crash indicated that the track surface was not quite ready for slick tyres. The final corner in particular held the most water. Behind Verstappen, Gabriel Botoletto had his own spin, performing a complete 360 but managing to keep the car going. Other drivers had minor moments, but luckily no other driver faced the same race ending crash at this stage.
The Race Eventually Resumes
Track cleared, and race control announced that the resumption would be a standing start, meaning Norris would need to nail his launch all over again. However, as the drivers headed to the start line, the HAAS of Ollie Bearman pulled to the side of the circuit with a power problem. This meant the remaining 20 drivers would have an additional formation lap, while they recovered his car.
The second start of the day started much cleaner for Russell but crucially, far better for Antonelli. The championship leader claimed the lead of the race at the third corner. Behind them, Oscar Piastri darted down the outside of the Brit, claiming the position. On the soft tyres, the Ferrari duo began to become more competitive. With a drying circuit, Leclerc and Hamilton put the pressure on the front runners.
Race Control found a few drivers to have infringed the yellow flag procedures during the early lap chaos. Both Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad were handed drive-through penalties, which saw them tumble down the order.
Initial Pit Stops Shake Up The Race
Out in front, Antonelli drove faster and faster, lapping quicker than the rest of the grid. He was, however, unable to shake off the reigning champion. On lap 13, a battle for P4 began to emerge between Russell and the two Ferrari drivers. Just as the Monegasque driver edged ever closer, Mercedes made the call to box Russell on lap 18, emerging him in ninth place.
Nightmare pit stop for McLaren and Piastri. A 5.4 second stop meant he rejoined the race behind Russell. The first stages of the race were going very strong for the Australian, which was turned upside-down after an issue with his rear left tyre. Also with issues in the pit lane were Antonelli, Lawson and Leclerc, who all too had slow stops for one reason or another.
The undercutting strategies from the top teams had not worked. Norris remained behind Antonelli out the pit lane, and Leclerc fell down to P6 behind Piastri. Opting to remain out of the chaos was Hamilton, boxing three laps later in a cleaner stop for the team.
Midfield Mayhem
The midfield battle ramped up during the mid stages of the Grand Prix. Fighting for the final point position, five drivers refused to back down. Both Audi drivers, Racing Bulls and the alpine of Pierre Gasly demonstrated a spectacular sequence of overtakes around the Zandvoort circuit.
The moves were clean but daring, with a few lock-ups allowing positions to be gained. Nico Hulkenberg managed to free himself of the fight, overtaking Carlos Sainz for P9.
Ferrari found pace in the middle of the race, putting all the pressure on Piastri. Both drivers found their way past the McLaren, dropping him down to P6. During Hamiltons overtake, he noted Piastri as driving erratically. He was later handed a black and white flag for this behaviour.
VSC Aids The Fights
With about 20 laps to go, the fight for the podium positions became tense. Hamilton, Antonelli and Norris led the rest of the field by a significant margin. On older tyres, the 7-time champion was in danger from behind, and very quickly, Norris not only sailed past Antonelli, but also past Hamilton at turn 11.
On lap 55, Esteban Ocon stopped his car on the side of the circuit, bringing out a crucial virtual safety car. This came at an opportunistic time for Ferrari, as Hamilton was able to utilise this cheaper stop. He emerged behind Antonelli who too came into the pitlane for new tyres. The challenge changed for the end of the race. The long run on the hard compound became a chance to attack on the soft.
In green flag conditions, it was Norris who remained in the lead of the race. He did not come in for a tyre change during the VSC, letting his engineer know he was concerned about the potential disadvantage he was now in. However, behind him, Russell was also on old hard tyres, and the gap between the two grew bigger, much to McLarens comfort.
Cruise to the Chequered Flag for Norris
The fight for the final podium position came between Hamilton and Russell. Having inverted positions, Mercedes left Russell in danger. Just when the Ferrari was about to strike, a second VSC was called due to clear the debris on the circuit. The cause was between the two Williams drivers, who collided after a lock-up from Carlos Sainz. He was handed a 10-second penalty for the incident.
Reaching the chequered flag, Norris drove a beautiful race, and made it a back-to-back victory at the Dutch Grand Prix. Antonelli retained P2 and critically, Russell held onto P3, having kept both Hamilton and Leclerc at bay.
Working down the order, Piastri came home in P6 ahead of Liam Lawson, Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso who finished in P9 with two points for Aston Martin. Pierre Gasly rounded off the top 10, denying Yuki Tsunoda of a point finish in his first race of 2026.
Reflections for most teams after this race will look at strategy and pit stops. During the course of the race, many teams struggled either fast stops, and strategic calls were questioned by drivers. With Monza next on the calendar, all 11 teams will need to evaluate what went wrong at the final Grand Prix in Zandvoort.