Norris overhauls Antonelli for victory, Verstappen suffers heavy crash

Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris produced a mega drive to win the Dutch Grand Prix from pole while home hero Max Verstappen caused a red flag by crashing out.

The McLaren driver crossed the line 11.5s ahead of runner-up Kimi Antonelli, with his Mercedes team-mate George Russell completing the podium at Zandvoort. 

It came after Norris pipped sprint winner Russell for pole ahead of third-placed Antonelli and they all, like the rest of the grid, started on slicks despite rain an hour before lights out.

But the rain was on and off causing a wet-dry surface, the dangers of which emerged at the end of the opening lap once Norris had a perfect getaway while Antonelli overtook Russell at Turn 1. 

That’s because Verstappen dipped a tyre onto the white line on the inside of the final corner, causing the Red Bull driver to spin into the barrier which spread debris on the circuit.

“Yeah that’s it – sorry!,” said the Dutchman via team radio, having brought out the red flag just as Gabriel Bortoleto also had a 360-degree spin at the banking but somehow avoided damage. 

So another standing start followed – after Oliver Bearman suffered an engine failure on the formation tour – and much to Norris’ dismay this time, as Antonelli squeezed by at Turn 1 for the lead. 

That was despite softs on the McLaren compared to mediums for Antonelli, who essentially had a double delight as title rival Russell lost third to hard runner Oscar Piastri at Turn 7.

Russell just didn’t have the pace, soon being pressurised by Charles Leclerc as he reported balance problems, but the tight track allowed him to hold firm before swapping mediums for hards on lap 18.

McLaren responded the previous lap with Piastri, but this backfired as a slow 5.4s stop put him behind Russell just as Antonelli had streaked 2.2s clear of Norris out front. 

That gap closed to a second once the pit window – where all the frontrunners chose hard tyres bar Leclerc on mediums – had passed, yet the reigning champion struggled to make inroads.

The wheel-to-wheel battles were more prevalent lower down: Yuki Tsunoda came out on top in a mega multi-car fight for the top 10, while Leclerc was constantly on Piastri’s tail.

That little battle finally ended on lap 34 when the Ferrari and McLaren went through the opening corners wheel-to-wheel, only for Leclerc to edge by for fourth around the outside of Turn 3.

There was yet more misery for Piastri as he was overtaken for fifth at Turn 1 on the following tour by Lewis Hamilton, who quickly closed in on team-mate Leclerc. 

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

The seven-time world champion was angling for team orders but they did not arrive and Hamilton sarcastically told his Ferrari squad: “Great way of wasting time guys, good job!”

Hamilton eventually moved by though once Leclerc made his second pitstop on lap 43, two tours after the Mercedes duo, and five before Norris came in for another set of hard tyres. 

But Ferrari kept Hamilton out which left him with first on track, yet the battle for the net lead emerged behind as Norris rapidly closed on Antonelli, who complained about his rear Pirellis. 

So come lap 54 Hamilton, Antonelli and Norris were all within a second and the reigning world champion made a sweeping move on Antonelli around the outside of Turn 1.

It was that same lap that Norris subsequently took the actual lead at Turn 11 from Hamilton, who dropped behind Antonelli at Turn 1 the following lap – just as Esteban Ocon caused a virtual safety car by stopping at Turn 4.

“Are you using me as a guinea pig,” complained Hamilton, wanting to pit, and that he finally did under the VSC by taking softs – likewise for Antonelli, while Norris and now second-placed Russell stayed out on hard rubber. 

Norris admitted he was “worried” by that decision and had reasons to be so, as the advantage of the fresher tyre became evident with Antonelli quickly reducing his gap to Russell.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Clive Rose / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Mercedes eventually told the Briton to let his team-mate by with the swap occurring at Turn 1 on lap 65, but this left Russell vulnerable against Hamilton, claiming “we’ve lost a double podium”. 

But Russell held firm, helped by a brief VSC on lap 70 for debris at Turn 5, to take the final podium spot, 4.3s behind Antonelli and 15.8s off Norris who took his second win of 2026.

Hamilton finished fourth, Leclerc took fifth and Piastri was sixth, while Red Bull stand-in Liam Lawson, Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly respectively completed the top 10.

The result has extended Antonelli’s championship advantage, as the 19-year-old leaves the Netherlands with a 59-point lead over both Russell and Hamilton in second.

F1 Dutch GP – Race result

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