Oscar Piastri wins the Dutch Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar.
Photo: Gabriele lanzo
The Dutch Grand Prix was full of unpredictable twists and turns, but none of them affected Oscar Piastri’s performance, as he secured the first Grand Slam of his career. For one half of McLaren’s garage, it was a highly positive race, but the other half suffered a major points loss that could prove decisive in this year’s title fight. Lando Norris fell victim to reliability issues and was forced to retire from second place, losing a crucial 18 points he could have earned. Piastri, on the other hand, took home 25 points, extending his lead in the standings to a solid 34 points. While the gap seems big, with nine races still remaining in the season, Norris still has a realistic chance to close it.
But it’s not just Lando Norris leaving Holland frustrated — Ferrari also endured a disastrous weekend with a double retirement. Lewis Hamilton crashed in Turn 3 after losing control of his Ferrari, while Charles Leclerc also crashed at the same corner. Unlike Hamilton, however, Leclerc was not at fault. Kimi Antonelli attempted a pass on the inside but misjudged the move, clipping Leclerc’s front-right wheel and sending him into a spin before crashing into the outside barrier. To make matters worse for the tifosi, Hamilton will carry a five-place grid penalty into the “Temple of Speed” at Monza.
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| Photo: Zak Mauger |
As for Red Bull, the team bounced back from a poor Hungarian GP with Max Verstappen finishing second. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda also scored points, bringing home two points for ninth place. However, the Japanese driver may need to be seriously concerned about his future seat, as Isack Hadjar from sister team Racing Bulls has been consistently finishing in the points. This weekend, Hadjar even claimed his maiden F1 podium. His performance was all the more impressive given his limited running in Friday practice and an enforced power unit change. In qualifying, he managed to outpace George Russell and line up on the second row of the grid. Helmut Marko is undoubtedly watching closely, and the chances of Hadjar moving up to Red Bull next year are already looking high.
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| Photo: Alastair Staley |
For Mercedes, it was far from a smooth race. Russell suffered floor damage after contact with Leclerc, while Antonelli’s incident with Leclerc earned him a 10-second penalty, later compounded by another 5 seconds for speeding in the pit lane. The total of 15 seconds dropped him all the way to 16th place — effectively last among the finishers, since those behind him did not complete the race.