F1 returned from its summer break to Zandvoort this weekend, for what was the final race at the venue under its current contract.
The Dutch Grand Prix was reintroduced back in 2021 and has ridden the wave of local hero Max Verstappen, who had kept the passionate fans happy with three wins in that period. Whilst he probably hadn’t expected a win this weekend, based on Red Bull’s recent form, there was no less enthusiasm from the sea of orange across the circuit.
It was a sprint race weekend, which gave fans plenty of on track action in the early part of the weekend. It was Mercedes who took the early spoils as George Russell won the Saturday sprint race from pole position. He led every lap and took the chequered flag 1.3 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Lando Norris in third in the McLaren. Antonelli was fourth, extending his championship lead to 53 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who finished seventh. Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen were fifth and sixth, respectively, while Alpine’s Pierre Gaslytook the final point in eighth.
Following the Saturday sprint, teams had the chance to adjust their setups for the main race qualifying and it was Lando Norris who beat Mercedes title contenders George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to earnMcLaren a third successive Dutch Grand Prix pole position on Saturday. This was his second pole in a row for champions McLaren after he previously won in Hungary from pole before the August break.
George Russell was 0.1 seconds slower than Norris, while Antonelli, who had briefly gone top with his second effort, was a whisker behind. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, last year’s race winner from pole after Norris triumphed in 2024, was fourth fastest.
Whilst the signs were good for McLaren, there was some concern, based on data from the sprint race, that their dominance was strong for single lap qualifying, but they could be vulnerable during the race, due to excess tyre degradation compared to Mercedes and Ferrari. In short, it was all to play for as the lights went out on Sunday afternoon.
Norris got off to the perfect start, whilst Russell struggled and was taken by his teammate Antonelli and Leclerc slotted in ahead of Piastri. Further back, there was drama on the final corner of the first lap as Verstappen lost control and had a major shunt into the wall, ending his race and the hopes of the local fans. A red flag was immediately called.
On the restart, it was mixed fortunes for McLaren as Antonelli got ahead of Norris, but Piastri managed a move on Russell to get third. At the first set of pit stops, Russell came out marginally ahead of Piastri, with Norris just ahead followed by Antonelli upfront. Further back after the first stops, the pair of Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton led the remaining Red Bull of Lawson in seventh.
Leclerc was putting pressure on Piastri in the middle part of this stint and eventually overtook the Australian on lap 34. This brought Hamilton right up to the back of Piastri who took a similar overtake on the very next lap.
The second set of pit stops began on lap 41, with Mercedes coming in first. Leclerc came in three laps later, followed by Piastri and Norris on lap 48. It seemed as though Hamilton was trying to get to the end without stopping again, whilst Norris, on six-lap younger tyres, was putting Antonelli under significant pressure. An incredible move from Norris on lap 54 completed that move. Just a few corners later, Norris then took Hamilton who was on much older tyres with some ease to take the lead.
Shortly after, a virtual safety car led to a Hamilton stop, with additional stops also from Leclerc, Piastri and Antonelli, all of which came in for fresh soft tyres.
As the virtual safety car ended, Norris was front on the hard tyres, followed by Russell also on old hard tyres, followed by Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc and Piastri all on the new softs. It meant a straight fight on tyre performance with Norris having a nine second gap from Russell and the rest of the field.
Remarkably, despite his older tyres, Norris managed to increase the buffer to the rest of the field. With six laps to go, Russell let through his teammate, leaving Antonelli to chase for the lead. But Norris was solid and unbothered at the front, winning by an impressive 11 seconds, with Antonelli second. Russell managed to fight off the Ferrari challenge to take third, with Leclerc fourth and Hamilton fifth. Piastri, Lawson and Hulkenberg then followed. Fernando Alonso, took his first points of the season finishing ninth in an upgraded Aston Martin, with Gasly completing the top ten.
Off the track there were some significant driver contract announcements over the week as Max Verstappen signed an extension to remain with Red Bull until the end of2030. This will likely trigger a number of other decisions with teams that had been rumored to want to poach the Dutch superstar from Red Bull. Separately, Williams also confirmed both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are staying with the team for 2027.
The final major news in the F1 world – and indeed for Bahrain – has been the launch of ticket sales for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026. The reaction from fans so far has been incredible from all over the world. It will be a unique chance to experience the Bahrain Grand Prix at the iconic Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur. It’s a circuit rich with racing history and hugely popular with fans, teams and drivers alike. The good news is that you still have a chance to book your ticket for this incredible race weekend. Head to bahraingp.com for tickets. But hurry, as they are selling out fast.
* Laurence Jones is senior manager, Marketing and Communications, Bahrain International Circuit
l.jones@bic.com.bh
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