The Netherlands - Race

George Russell took the win in Saturday's sprint, adding some much-needed points to his tally and gaining confidence that could go on to help him in the weekend's main event. Having qualified second, he was in a good position to fight for the win and continue his good streak on Dutch soil. However, with Lando Norris ahead and Kimi Antonelli behind, his task wasn't going to be easy. In the end, it was one of the three who took the win and the 25 points that came with it. The question is, who?

Tire strategies differed at the starting grid, with most drivers choosing either the softs or the mediums. Cadillac was the only team to send out their contenders on the hardest available compound. As soon as the lights went out, Russell moved to block Oscar Piastri from making a move, leaving Norris with the perfect opportunity to keep his position and move through the circuit as the race leader. The blocked McLaren of his Australian teammate fell in the order, overtaken by both Ferraris. Charles Leclerc squeezed everything he could out of the start, moving past his teammate and into P4. 

The race did not go on for long before heartbreak tore through the stands filled with fans of the home hero, Max Verstappen. On just the second lap, the driver lost control of his car and slammed into one of the walls. He was unharmed, but his Grand Prix ended much earlier than anyone could have anticipated. A red flag waved over the circuit, and all the other drivers quickly drove into the pits. Over 20 minutes passed before they were allowed back on track again to complete the formation lap and line up on the starting grid. Even then, however, the race could not be resumed as Oliver Bearman stopped on track. His car was quickly removed, and a second formation lap finally set the grid for the standing restart. 

This time, as the cars began moving through the track, Antonelli was quick to overtake Norris, comfortably settling into the lead. Piastri quickly moved up to P3 as Leclerc began chasing Russell for the fourth position. As the drivers at the top fought for positions, the race took a dark turn for a few who drove further down the order. Both Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto received drive-through penalties for yellow flag infringements, drastically decreasing their chances of a satisfactory finish. 

Russell was the first top driver to visit the pits, doing so on lap 17. Piastri was quick to follow in his lead, but a disappointing 5.4s stop put him behind the Brit. Antonelli, Leclerc, and Norris all changed their tires on lap 21, making Lewis Hamilton the temporary race leader for the next few turns around the track. His reign was interrupted by a lap 25 stop of his own. The two Ferraris found themselves side by side, first behind Piastri and then, around lap 35, ahead of him. 

Antonelli stayed at the front of the pack until his second stop on lap 41. Although his teammate immediately drove into the pits too, the other frontrunners decided to stay out a bit longer. The situation on track was particularly heated for Ferrari, which saw a small civil war between its drivers. At that point in the Grand Prix, Leclerc was in P2, behind Norris. Hamilton stayed close behind him, using his radio to signal that he believed he was quicker than the Monegasque and that their positions should thus be swapped. His frustration did not lead to a change, and the tension disappeared only once Leclerc pitted on lap 43. Norris and Piastri changed their tires soon after, making Hamilton the race leader for the second time that afternoon. 

Norris, who had been performing very well throughout the weekend, was hungry for the win and determined to tear it from Mercedes's hands. He overtook Antonelli on lap 54 for the net lead of the race and almost immediately moved past Hamilton, despite the fact that the latter had been one pit stop behind. Antonelli overtook the Ferrari soon after and did so just as yellow flags, caused by Esteban Ocon's unexpected stop, waved over the circuit. A virtual safety car was called to the track, giving the drivers the perfect opportunity for an advantageous pit stop. After the dust of the tire changes had settled, Norris, Russel, Antonelli, Hamilton, and Leclerc made up the top five. 

Norris began building the gap to the rest of the field; meanwhile, the two Mercedes behind him switched positions after a team order that left Russell rather disappointed. The team hoped that the young Italian would find a way to catch up to the McLaren, but there was nothing he could do. Lando Norris ended up crossing the finish line first, reminding the fans why he is driving with number one proudly displayed on his car. While he celebrated the last laps of the race, other drivers finished in much lower spirits. Colapinto and Liam Lawson both received penalties for yellow flag infringements; Carlos Sainz was given one for causing a collision with his teammate, who had to retire his car; and Valtteri Bottas was also called into the pits to finish the race long before the finish line was in sight. 

Order of the grid:

1. Lando Norris

2. Kimi Antonelli

3. George Russell

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. Charles Leclerc

6. Oscar Piastri

7. Liam Lawson

8. Nico Hulkenberg

9. Fernando Alonso

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Yuki Tsunoda

12. Arvid Lindblad

13. Gabriel Bortoleto

14. Franco Colpinto

15. Sergio Perez

16. Carlos Sainz

DNF: Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Oliver Bearman, Max Verstappen