The 2025 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort delivered a spectacle of speed, strategy, and drama that kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Oscar Piastri claimed victory for McLaren, Lando Norris suffered heartbreak with a late-race DNF, Ferrari suffered a double DNF and Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar celebrated his first-ever Formula 1 podium in just his 14th start.
Qualifying set the tone for an unpredictable race. Piastri secured pole in a nail-biting Q3, edging teammate Lando Norris by just 0.012 seconds.
McLaren’s pace was evident all weekend leading up to qualifying, but Verstappen, desperate to perform in front of his home crowd, could only manage third.
Hadjar impressed by qualifying fourth, showing remarkable composure under pressure.
Liam Lawson, returning to the circuit where he made his F1 debut in 2023, recovered from a shaky first lap to secure eighth, less than two-tenths behind Charles Leclerc in sixth.
With a McLaren front-row lockout and both Racing Bulls rookies in the top eight, Sunday promised battles across the field.
The Dutch Grand Prix began under overcast skies with a dry track. However, light rain was forecast. Piastri launched perfectly off the line, keeping Norris and Verstappen at bay. At the same time, Verstappen overtook Norris to take second place.
By the end of lap one, the top ten were: Piastri, Verstappen, Norris, Hadjar, Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Lawson, Sainz, and Albon.
Hadjar immediately came under pressure from Leclerc but defended brilliantly, while Lawson engaged in a tense midfield battle with Sainz. Williams’ Alexander Albon made an impressive start, climbing five places to 10th.
By lap 8, Piastri was extending his lead, setting the fastest laps despite Verstappen being on the quicker soft tyres. Norris reclaimed second on lap 9, overtaking Verstappen at Turn 1, signalling the potential for a McLaren 1-2 finish.
On lap 22, Lewis Hamilton spun into the barriers at Turn 3 after a snap of oversteer on the damp track, bringing out the safety car and resulting in a DNF for Hamilton.
McLaren capitalised with a double-stack pit stop for Piastri and Norris. During the chaos, Lawson and Sainz made contact at Turn 1, forcing both to pit. Lawson came in with only three tyres, with his left rear tyre missing, and received a new set of soft tyres. Meanwhile, Sainz got a new front wing and tyres.
Both rejoined a lap down, with Sainz later handed a 10-second penalty for causing the collision. He voiced his frustration over team radio, clearly unhappy with both the incident and the penalty.
“He’s so stupid. Oh my god. This guy. It’s always the same guy.” Sainz said, clearly frustrated.
“What. Are you joking? You’re joking. I mean, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in my life.” Sainz added after being informed on his penalty.
Out front, Piastri maintained a slight advantage over Norris and Verstappen, while Hadjar held fourth, narrowly ahead of Leclerc.
The French rookie showed remarkable composure defending against the Ferrari under intense DRS pressure, gradually creating a 1.2-second buffer by lap 17.
Meanwhile, Lawson began losing time to Hamilton, falling 4.5 seconds behind the Ferrari as the top drivers battled in varying conditions.
The race took another dramatic turn on lap 53 when Kimi Antonelli made a daring inside move on Leclerc at Turn 3. The maneuver went wrong, understeering into the Ferrari, which spun into the barriers, resulting in a double DNF for Ferrari.
The safety car returned to the track, and McLaren again executed a double-stack pit stop, keeping their strategic advantage intact.
Verstappen pitted for tyres, while Antonelli also came into the pits with a small fire and lost a tyre from the incident with Leclerc. A 10-second time penalty was handed to Antontelli for the collision, and a further 5-second penalty for pit lane speeding.
With 15 laps remaining, the race restarted. Piastri retained the lead, but Norris, running second and closing in on his teammate, reported smoke in his cockpit on lap 66.
Moments later, his car stopped on track due to an oil leak and engine failure, denying McLaren a fifth consecutive 1-2 finish. This promoted Verstappen to second and Hadjar to third, intensifying the rookie’s fight to secure his maiden podium.
The final laps saw Hadjar holding off Russell and fending off relentless pressure. Crossing the line in third, the rookie delivered a composed, flawless performance, earning the admiration of fans who voted him Driver of the Day.
Verstappen claimed second, a podium salvaged for Red Bull at their home race, while Piastri dominated to the finish with a 1.271-second gap, also setting the fastest lap of the race.
Despite the early collision and unscheduled pit stop, Lawson showcased resilience, climbing back to finish 12th. His recovery drive highlighted his skill and determination in a weekend of highs and lows.
Piastri strengthened his championship challenge, now with a 34 point lead in the Championship standings. Verstappen delivered a podium at home and Hadjar celebrated a maiden podium. Lawson’s determined comeback drive after ending up at the rear of the grid highlighted his potential as a Kiwi talent to watch in Formula 1.
Formula 1 returns next weekend for the Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, with the Grand Prix scheduled for Monday, 8th of September at 1.00am (NZST).
Header Image: Formula 1 via X / Getty Images
