Dutch GP: Piastri clinches Zandvoort win as Norris retires, Ferrari suffers double DNF

Although Oscar Piastri had Lando Norris’ measure throughout the Dutch Grand Prix, he was made to work for his Zandvoort win with two Safety Car restarts before his teammate suffered a shock engine failure that put him out of the grand prix.

It was McLaren versus McLaren at the Zandvoort circuit with Piastri staying in control, even through two Safety Car restarts as Lewis Hamilton and then Charles Leclerc crashed out of the race. Norris’ efforts to reel in his teammate ended on lap 65 as his McLaren MCL39’s engine went, gifting Piastri a 34-lead in the Drivers’ standings.

Oscar Piastri wins the Dutch Grand Prix

Gloomy grey skies and a 60 per cent chance of rain greeted the drivers as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris lined up on the front row of the Dutch Grand Prix grid ahead of Max Verstappen, who gambled by starting on the soft tyres.

Norris and Verstappen, along with Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz, lined up under the threat of an investigation for failing to adhere to the maximum delta time on their way to the grid. Lewis Hamilton was also under investigation for not lifting under yellow flags. The FIA confirmed that all five incidents would be investigated after the race.

Putting that to the back of their minds, the 72-lap Dutch Grand Prix got underway with Piastri veering across the track to cover Norris, who came under attack from Verstappen. Despite a big moment at Turn 3, Verstappen took second off Norris with Isack Hadjar hanging onto fourth ahead of Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Hamilton.

As rain warnings were heard up and down the grid, Piastri pulled four seconds clear of Verstappen, who had Norris in DRS range of his rear wing, as did Hadjar, who was under pressure from Leclerc.

Norris made a daring move around the outside of Turn 1 on lap 9 to muscle past Verstappen. “Nice job,” said his race engineer Will Joseph, “let’s go get Oscar.”

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Despite the threat of rain, Aston Martin pitted Lance Stroll for a set of hard tyres on lap 10, Oliver Bearman then reported Gabriel Bortoleto’s broken front wing to Haas (and the stewards), Norris drove over that piece of Bortoleto’s wing when it fell off, and the Sauber driver was facing a post-race investigation for driving in an unsafe condition.

20 laps into the 72-lap race, Piastri reported rain, jackets went on in the grandstands and McLaren CEO Zak Brown adopted the tried-and-tested rain check – stuck his hand out of the McLaren gantry. And yet Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Franco Colapinto and Hulkenberg all pitted for hard tyres. Leclerc was the first of the front-runners to stop, in on 23… and out came the Safety Car.

Hamilton binned his SF-25 at Turn 3 as he went too high in the banked corner and crashed into the barrier. That gifted the field a free pit stop with McLaren double-stacking Piastri and Norris, the latter involved in an incident with his front jackman as he went too early.

As for Leclerc, he was in sixth place when all was said and done having lost one place to George Russell. “No!” vented the Ferrari driver. “F***king hell. We are so f***ing unlucky. Unbelievable.”

The action resumed on lap 27 with Piastri keeping Norris at bay while further back, Sainz and Liam Lawson made contact at the exit of Turn 1, Sainz losing positions and the Racing Bulls driver going slowly. Both drivers pitted for new tyres, Sainz also requiring a new nose. Sainz promptly overtook Lawson as they battled over 18th place, the Williams driver hit with a 10-second penalty for causing a collision.

Leclerc regained fifth place on lap 33, muscling past Russell before complaining that the Mercedes driver didn’t leave him racing room. Russell in turn complained that Leclerc overtook him off the track. Adding to Russell’s misery, he was told that due to the damage on his car, Mercedes wanted him to let Kimi Antonelli through.

As the complaints came thick and fast, Alonso vented at Aston Martin about the “f***ing” traffic ahead of him. Aston Martin pitted him for a second time, dropping him further back but with fresher rubber. He made short work of the two Saubers, but was still five places down on the points.

Antonelli and Leclerc gave up track position with less than 20 to go as they battled over fifth place. Antonelli pitted and then Leclerc, only for the Mercedes rookie to lunge down the inside of Leclerc at Turn 3 only to undesteer into the Ferrari. Leclerc’s race was over with Antonelli back in the pits as he’d sustained a puncture.

McLaren made another double-stack, small issues on the rear tyres for both drivers, but they came out ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar. As the pit stops behind the Safety Car played out, Piastri ran P1 ahead of Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar, Russell, Alex Albon and Antonelli. The latter, penalised for his clash with Leclerc, under investigation for speeding in the pit lane.

Piastri once again put distance between himself and Norris at the restart as the McLaren teammates dropped Verstappen only for Norris to report “smoke” in his cockpit. Moments later he ground to a halt on the side of the track due to an engine failure. “I’m out.”

The Briton’s DNF elevated Verstappen to second and Hadjar onto the podium with the action underway again on lap 69. Piastri once again pulled away from the chasing pack while Russell hounded Hadjar for the podium with Alex Albon the big winner, up to fifth.

Piastri held on to win the grand prix ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar, with Russell and Albon. Antonelli was sixth at the line but faced a 15-second penalty that dropped him out of the points.

Bearman, Stroll, Alonso, Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon completed the points.

Piastri leads the Drivers’ standings by 34 points ahead of his teammate.

Dutch Grand Prix result

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull + 1.271
3 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls + 3.233
4 George Russell Mercedes + 5.654
5 Alex Albon Williams + 6.327
6 Oliver Bearman Haas + 9.044
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin + 9.497
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin + 11.709
9 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull + 13.597
10 Esteban Ocon Haas + 14.063
11 Franco Colapinto Alpine + 14.511
12 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls + 17.063
13 Carlos Sainz Williams + 17.376
14 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber + 19.725
15 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber + 21.565
16 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes + 22.029
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 23.629

Did not finish

Lando Norris McLaren – engine failure
Charles Leclerc Ferrari – crash
Lewis Hamilton Ferrari – crash

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