|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Lando Norris converted pole position into victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing more than 11 seconds clear of Kimi Antonelli after passing both the Italian and Lewis Hamilton on the same lap. Max Verstappen crashed out on the opening lap of his final home race at Zandvoort, bringing out a red flag. George Russell completed the podium after Mercedes moved him aside for Antonelli.
Zandvoort, Netherlands: Circuit Zandvoort hosted its last Formula 1 race on Sunday after six races back on the calendar, and it produced the sort of afternoon the venue will be remembered for — rain, a red flag, a home hero in the wall, and a strategic fight that ran to the closing laps.
Lando Norris won it, as he had won here in 2024. That makes three consecutive Dutch Grands Prix for McLaren, and back-to-back victories after Hungary.
Verstappen’s Home Farewell Lasts One Lap
Light rain before the start left teams with an awkward choice, and most of the grid gambled on slicks. Norris led away cleanly from pole. Max Verstappen did not survive the lap.
The Dutchman lost the rear of his Red Bull at the final corner and hit the wall heavily, ending his last home Grand Prix at this circuit almost as soon as it had begun. He reported himself unhurt. The race was red-flagged.
The Lap That Won It
The standing restart went against Norris. Antonelli made a flying getaway to take the lead, and for a spell the championship leader looked comfortable in front.
What followed was the decisive passage of the race. Using fresh tyres, Norris passed both Antonelli and Hamilton on the same lap to retake the lead — the move he would afterwards describe as the one that won him the race.
The tyre delta swung the pace of the field around wildly through the middle stint, but Norris managed it and crossed the line more than 11 seconds clear.
Mercedes Gamble, and Reorder
Behind him, Mercedes attempted a strategy the team itself acknowledged was risky, and it delivered a double podium — though not without an awkward final act.
Russell, who had won Saturday’s Sprint and started second, was asked to move aside for Antonelli late on. He complied, then held off sustained pressure from Hamilton and Leclerc to keep third. Antonelli, who was not entirely satisfied with the car on the hard compound, took second and extended his championship lead.
Hamilton finished fourth from Leclerc, with Oscar Piastri sixth — a result McLaren welcomed as ground recovered in the constructors’ fight. Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson both took 10-second penalties for failing to slow under yellow flags.
The Championship Picture
Antonelli leaves Zandvoort 59 points clear at the top. Norris, despite winning, remains 83 points behind him.
Norris was not inclined to talk about it. “It sounds boring, but one race at a time,” he said, adding that two strong weekends had not removed the need to reset and improve before Monza.
It was his 13th career Formula 1 victory and McLaren’s 205th as a constructor. The circuit that gave him his first Dutch win in 2024 has now given him its last.
Result — 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, Circuit Zandvoort (72 laps)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) — more than 11s behind
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Lewis Hamilton
- Charles Leclerc
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Pole: Lando Norris, 1:11.163 — his 18th career pole
Sprint winner: George Russell
Championship: Antonelli leads by 59 points; Norris 83 points behind
