Oscar Piastri’s Victory at Dutch GP: Norris Retires, Hamilton’s Crash

Oscar Piastri is now a huge favourite for the championship after a dramatic turn of events at the Dutch Grand Prix, where his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris faced a heartbreaking retirement due to an oil leak late in the race. This incident significantly impacted Norris’ championship chances, putting him 34 points behind Piastri with only nine rounds remaining in the season. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen managed to take second place in what was a highly charged atmosphere on home soil, and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar achieved a remarkable feat by claiming his maiden F1 podium.

Piastri executed a flawless race, leading from start to finish and demonstrating remarkable resilience against the pressure stemming from three Safety Car restarts. This victory marked the Australian driver’s crucial seventh win of the season and further solidified his position at the top of the standings. Reflecting on his performance, Piastri expressed satisfaction, stating, “It feels good, obviously. I controlled the race when I needed to, and obviously it was incredibly unfortunate for Lando at the end.” His ability to navigate the race strategically, using the car’s pace when necessary, showcased the improvements both he and his team have made over the past year.

On the other hand, Hadjar’s outstanding performance was undoubtedly the highlight of the race for the Racing Bulls team. After spending the majority of the race in fourth position, he seized the opportunity for a top-three finish following Norris’ retirement. At just 20 years old, Hadjar became the youngest Frenchman to stand on an F1 podium, marking a significant milestone for both him and the Racing Bulls, who hadn’t seen a podium finish since Pierre Gasly in 2021.

The race, however, was disastrous for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton crashed out early when light rain began to affect the track conditions, understeering into the wall at the banked Turn 3. This marked Hamilton’s first retirement as a Ferrari driver and set a somber tone for the team. Adding to Ferrari’s troubles, Charles Leclerc was involved in a collision with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, also at Turn 3, resulting in both Ferraris unable to see the chequered flag just before their home event at Monza the following weekend.

Antonelli managed to cross the line in sixth place, following behind his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, as well as Williams’ Alex Albon. However, the joy of finishing in the points was overshadowed by penalties—15 seconds worth—for colliding with Leclerc and speeding in the pit lane. Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman had a career-best race, finishing sixth, ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, and his fellow Haas teammate, Esteban Ocon.

In what would be a moment of chaos, Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, both of whom had been running in the top 10, collided during a Safety Car restart, leading to punctures for each. Surprisingly, Sainz was given a 10-second time penalty despite running towards the back of the pack.

The undeniable closeness of the McLaren drivers in terms of outright speed meant that any retirement from either party would have significant consequences for the championship race. Piastri secured pole position by a mere 0.012 seconds on Saturday, and he got off the line spectacularly, establishing a gap early on. Verstappen executed an impressive overtaking maneuver on Norris in the first lap, setting off a competitive battle.

As the race progressed, Norris initially seemed poised to challenge Piastri until the incident at lap 65, when he was forced to retire, resulting in a third Safety Car deployment. Piastri successfully navigated the final laps, holding off Verstappen and celebrating what would be a pivotal victory in his title quest. Norris, seated on the grassy banks of Zandvoort, faced a daunting realization of the uphill battle he must now undertake to reclaim his shot at the championship.

Dutch GP Result

Driver	Team	Time
2) Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:38:29.849
9) Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+1.271
11) Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+3.233
3) George Russell	Mercedes	+5.654
15) Alex Albon	Williams	+6.327
Oliver Bearman	Haas	+9.044
7) Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+9.497
5) Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+11.709
17) Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull	+13.597
16) Esteban Ocon	Haas	+14.063
18) Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+14.511
8) Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+17.063
14) Carlos Sainz	Williams	+17.376
13) Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	+19.725
6) Gabriel Bortoleto	Sauber	+21.565
10) Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+22.029
19) Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+23.629
Lando Norris	McLaren	DNF
Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	DNF
Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	DNF