Norris wins as Piastri slows, Verstappen crashes

By Michael Doyle

Topic:Formula 1

McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates winning consecutive F1 grands prix. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)

Reigning world champion Lando Norris has doubled his grand prix win tally in 2026, producing a pair of brilliant overtakes to win the Dutch Grand Prix.

Norris won the last grand prix in Hungary before the mid-year break, and continued that good form while teammate Oscar Piastri struggled for pace.

Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who led for stretches in Zandvoort, finished second ahead of teammate George Russell who obeyed team orders in the late stages of the race.

Oscar Piastri was running third, but lost the position thanks to a slow pit stop. The Australian struggled for pace in the second half of the race and finished a distant sixth.

A slow pit stop from McLaren cost Oscar Piastri third place early in the Dutch Grand Prix. (Getty Images: LAP Images/Pauline Ballet)

But the day belonged to Norris, who lost the lead on a second restart after the race was red-flagged on the first lap after Max Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull and smashed into the barrier.

"A tough race. I made it tough for myself, but a good race, well fought," Norris said.

"Probably one of my better wins. We had to fight for it well, but the pace was very strong.

"I managed things incredibly well today. Over the moon, very, very happy and nice to win the final race here in Zandvoort."

Despite rain falling in the hour before the grand prix, all drivers started on dry tyres, but Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull on a damp part of the circuit and hit the barriers hard.

Norris lost the lead off the restart to Antonelli, with the teenager quicker in the opening laps.

Oscar Piastri, who lost a position at the race start, jumped from fifth into third at the restart and was in contention for a podium.

But the Australian suffered a slow pit stop on lap 18 of 72, dropping him behind Russell. Piastri would struggle for pace for the remainder of the grand prix.

As the race wore on, Norris proved to be quicker in his McLaren as Antonelli struggled with grip. The McLaren came in for his second stop seven laps later than Antonelli, giving him a massive tyre advantage.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was left out for much longer than his rivals, and was holding the lead of the race as Antonelli and Norris both caught him at the same time.

Norris produced a brilliant move around the outside of Antonelli into the first corner of lap 54, and then passed Hamilton later in the lap to re-take the lead and seal victory.

"The move [on Antonelli] was good, I knew I was not going to get many chances," Norris said.

"Every lap I spent behind him, my odds were getting lower and lower.

"I saw Lewis defending and I knew that was my moment.

"That move won me the race."

Some drivers, including Antonelli, pitted under a late virtual safety car. Antonelli dropped behind Russell, but Mercedes called team orders and the 19-year-old was allowed through.

Russell held on for third with Ferrari duo Hamilton and Charles Leclerc chasing him all the way to the finish line.

Liam Lawson, racing for Red Bull in place of the injured Isack Hadjar, placed seventh, ahead of Audi's Nico Hülkenberg.

With an upgraded car, Fernando Alonso was ninth for Aston Martin, while Pierre Gasly was 10th for Alpine.

Relive all the action of the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix on the blog below.

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By Michael Doyle

This is where we end our live coverage of the F1 Dutch Grand Prix.

Lando Norris wins, while Oscar Piastri was sixth.

Thank-you for joining us this evening.

Goodnight.

Key Event

By Michael Doyle

Drivers' championship standings

242 — Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

183 — George Russell, Mercedes

183 — Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

159 — Lando Norris, McLaren

155 — Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

112 — Max Verstappen, Red Bull

104 — Oscar Piastri, McLaren

68 — Isack Hadjar, Red Bull

49 — Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls/Red Bull

44 — Pierre Gasly, Alpine

23 — Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

19 — Franco Colapinto, Alpine

18 — Oliver Bearman, Haas

10 — Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi

6 — Nico Hülkenberg, Audi

6 — Carlos Sainz, Williams

5 — Alex Albon, Williams

3 — Esteban Ocon, Haas

3 — Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

0 — Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls

0 — Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

0 — Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac

0 — Sergio Pérez, Cadillac

Constructors' championship standings

425— Mercedes

338 — Ferrari

263 — McLaren

186 — Red Bull

66 — Racing Bulls

63 — Alpine

21 — Haas

16 — Audi

11 — Williams

3 — Aston Martin

0 — Cadillac

By Michael Doyle

Lando Norris now has back to back grand prix wins, and all of a sudden, the reigning world champion looks fast again.

HIs win in the Dutch Grand Prix moves him to fourth in the championship, 83 points behind Kimi Antonelli.

I mean, one race at a time. A lot of people say it now, but it is the truth of it. There's no point in thinking that far ahead.

I need to concentrate now on having a nice little break

There are plenty of things we can do better, and we need to do better if we want to fight for a Championship.

I'm very pleased with the team, I'm pleased with how much work everyone's doing, and I'm happy I can deliver it for them and bring two wins in a row.

But it's harder than I would like, and I want a bigger gap.

We have to keep working hard. There's still plenty of races, plenty of opportunity for everyone.

By Michael Doyle

George Russell started second, but dropped to third early and was in a battle for the final podium spot.

But to his credit, he fought hard and earned third place.

Difficult start for me, losing the position. These two were very quick at the beginning, and then Lando was just exceptionally fast towards the end of the race.

It was tough to hold on on those old tyres. Happy to be here on the podium, as it could have gone either way.

He was running second in the late stages of the race, thanks to teammate Kimi Antonelli taking an extra pit stop under a VSC.

Russell was asked to step aside and obeyed team orders, although he did not seem impressed at the time.

Post-race, the Briton admits it was right that Antonelli went ahead.

Kimi was ahead of me anyway, so he deserved to finish ahead.

When you're in the race, you want to fight for every single position. But with the pace, with the new tyre, he would have overtaken anyway. So it was the right decision.

By Michael Doyle

Kimi Antonelli started third today, but was up to second from the start.

After Max Verstappen's crash led to a red flag, Antonelli went from second to the lead at the restart.

Antonelli was quicker in the first stint, but he was no match for Norris as the race went on.

Was a very intense race. Managed to get the lead and on stint one it actually felt OK.

But on stint two onwards, I didn't have the feeling with the car. I was sliding a lot, Lando passed me and I knew I had no chance after that.

By Michael Doyle

The move [on Antonelli] was good, I knew I was not going to get many chances.

Every lap I spent behind him, my odds were getting lower and lower.

I saw Lewis defending and I knew that was my moment.

That move won me the race.

Key Event

By Michael Doyle

Lando Norris is speaking after his Dutch Grand Prix win

A tough race. I made it tough for myself, but a good race, well fought.

Probably one of my better wins. We had to fight for it well, but the pace was very strong.

I managed things incredibly well today. Over the moon, very, very happy and nice to win the final race here in Zandvoort.

By Michael Doyle

Here are the comments of Lando Norris to his team after taking the win.

Well done, well executed.

Good strategy won me the race today, so thank you guys.

Let's keep pushing. Thank-you for the hard work. Let's keep bringing upgrades, let;s keep bringing performance please.

The fight's still on.

Key Event

By Michael Doyle

Hi Michael I am keenly watching Fernando Alonso, to see if recent car and engine improvements are occurring , Can you tell if he is close to Gasly ? Thanks

- theraputic massage

Key Event

By Michael Doyle

Lando Norris has won the Dutch Grand Prix.

In a chaotic race, where Norris held the lead off the start, but lost it at the restart following Max Verstappen's crash, the reigning world champion showed his class at Zandvoort.

Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli finished second, extending his lead over his nearest drivers' championship rivals.

George Russell held on desperately for third, with the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc crossing the line within 1.5 seconds of the podium.

Oscar Piastri finishes a distant sixth.

By Michael Doyle

It ends quickly and we race again.

By Michael Doyle

George Russell is holding on for third place.

Lewis Hamilton goes for a dive up the inside of the first corner, but Russell is able to defend.

Key Event

By Michael Doyle

Hello.

Do we have the Mercedes version of Papaya Rules?

George Russell has been told to move out of the way for Kimi Antonelli.

Russell asks if Antonelli is fighting for the win, which in reality, he is not.

But Russell moves out of the way.

Now Russell is under pressure for third place from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

"We've lost a double-podium here, mate," Russell tells his team.

By Michael Doyle

Lando Norris is on fire.

On the hard tyres, he is matching the lap times of the runners who are on soft tyres.

We look at the battle for second between the two Mercedes drivers.

George Russell, on old hards, holds second place. Kimi Antonelli is catching him on newer soft tyres and is about one second behind.

By Michael Doyle

Key Event

By Michael Doyle

Under the virtual safety car, Lando Norris and George Russell stayed out.

Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri have pitted. All put on soft tyres.

Antonelli has dropped to third, but now he has very fast, soft tyres.

Hamilton stays ahead of Leclerc, thanks to not pitting earlier.

By Michael Doyle

Key Event

By Michael Doyle

Kimi Antonelli passes on the inside of Lewis Hamilton into the first turn.

That is second place for Antonelli, but Lando Norris is clear in front.

By Michael Doyle

Lando Norris has gone from third to first on the 54th lap.

Wonderful from the reigning world champion.

He went around the outside of Antonelli at the first turn, then a few corners later, passed Lewis Hamilton for the lead.

By Michael Doyle

Lewis Hamilton, on very old tyres, leads the Dutch Grand Prix.

He surely must pit soon.

But he is ahead for now.

Kimi Antonelli is behind, and Norris is all over tha back of Antonelli.

Key Event

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