2026 Dutch Grand Prix: Recap
Welcome back from the summer break! The Dutch Grand Prix kicked off the second half of the Formula 1 season this past weekend and provided insight into where teams are standing going forward in the Championship.
Isack Hadjar injured his wrist prior to the Grand Prix, so Liam Lawson was pulled back up to Red Bull as his replacement. Yuki Tsunoda was put in Lawson’s place in Racing Bulls. Both Lawson and Tsunoda had much to prove this race, especially Tsunoda, who had never driven the new Formula 1 cars before.
Multiple teams upgraded their cars over the break, including McLaren, which came in with improved aerodynamics. The starting lineup included Lando Norris (McLaren) in pole position, George Russell (Mercedes) in P2, and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) in P3. At the race start, Norris maintained the lead. Russell held off Oscar Piastri (McLaren), which allowed Antonelli to take P2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) moved up two positions.
Less than an hour before the race, it had rained, leaving track conditions damp. On lap 2, Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) had a 360-degree spin, but recovered. His teammate, Nico Hülkenberg, narrowly avoided crashing into him as he skillfully drove past. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) then lost control and was unexpectedly out of the race. It was a sad moment for many, considering this was the last time the Dutch Grand Prix would be on the calendar for the foreseeable future. He later said that he had accelerated into what he thought was the dry patch too early. The red flag was raised, and the session was stopped for forty minutes.
At the race restart, Antonelli took the lead with Norris falling back to P2, and Russell just behind. Piastri quickly passed Russell for P3. On lap 16, Norris reported that he had no pace, “I’ve got nothing else.” On lap 22, Russell came out ahead of Piastri once again. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) became the race leader after others pit and tried to build himself a large offset.
Many battles ensued throughout the race. The top three consistently remained Antonelli, Russell, and Norris. Others were driving well, battling to be in the points. Lawson and Tsunoda seemed to be proving themselves with their driving skills, remaining close to the top.
There was some tension between the Ferrari teammates when Leclerc chose to ignore his team and stay out of the pits for another lap. Hamilton became frustrated after being stuck behind Leclerc, ultimately slowing his pace: “We’re just losing time.” Once Leclerc pit, Hamilton became the race leader once again, and the battle for P1 commenced. Finding some fight left in his car, Norris passed Antonelli and took P2. On lap 54, he made his way back to P1. Antonelli passed Hamilton the next lap.
A Virtual Safety Car was called on lap 55 for Esteban Ocon (Haas), and teams debated whether to pit or finish the 72-lap race. “Do you think we need to take it?” Lando Norris asked. Fernando Alonso was one of the drivers who did not pit in an attempt to gain track position.
On lap 66, Russell was told by his team to let Antonelli pass. Antonelli had the new tire, and it seemed as though Russell did not have a problem with the decision, even though it left him to hold off Hamilton. Williams teammates Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz collided after Sainz’s tires locked up. This caused Albon to retire, and Sainz received a penalty.
The final lap came, and Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix, his second win of the season! “Well executed, good strategy,” he exclaimed. Antonelli took P2, and Russell took P3. Hamilton and Leclerc followed just behind. Ending out the points was Pierre Gasly (Alpine) in P10. Notably, Lawson ended in P7 and Tsunoda in P11. Alonso also got some points, ending in P9; his strategy not to pit seemed to pay off.
During the post-race interview, Antonelli said that he was disappointed because he led a lot of the race but, “something didn’t feel right with the car.” Hamilton mentioned that it was hard battling, and Ferrari needs to improve their power unit to catch up to Mercedes. Lawson noted that he struggled to match the pace of the front runners but would learn from it. Tsunoda said, “I did as much as I can and definitely enjoyed the race today.” With it being Verstappen’s last home race on the F1 calendar, he said it was “a disappointing end to the weekend” but “all okay” after he hit the front of his car, which was better than the side.
The first race back after the summer break was certainly eventful. Follow along as the second half of the season commences and the fight for the Driver’s Championship continues. Tune into the next race, the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, Sunday, September 6 with East Bay F1! More details are available here.
