Oscar Piastri wins Dutch GP as Lando Norris’ hopes go up in smoke

ZANDVOORT – Oscar Piastri won the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug 31 to take a mighty 34-point lead in the Formula One championship, as McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris saw his hopes go up in smoke.

On a day of drama, with both Ferrari drivers crashing out in separate incidents, McLaren had been heading for a record-equalling fifth successive one-two win until Norris suffered late despair.

After saying he could smell smoke in the cockpit, the Briton slowed and retired from second place on lap 65 of 72 with visible evidence coming out of the back of his stricken car.

Piastri, 24, said: “It feels good, obviously. I controlled the race when I needed to and obviously it was incredibly unfortunate for Lando at the end.

“But I felt like I was in control of that one and just used the pace when I needed to... so very happy with all the work we’ve done to try to improve around here and very satisfied to come out on top.

“There were a couple of safety cars that spiced it up a little bit and we weathered it all, so I’m very proud of the whole team. It wasn’t just myself that improved to get here, it was the whole team around me and without them, none of this possible. It’s a big team effort.”

It was Piastri’s sixth Grand Prix victory of the season and cemented the Australian’s status as the man to catch in the 2025 drivers’ championship.

Home hero Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, with Racing Bulls’ French rookie Isack Hadjar taking his first Formula One podium in third place and punching the air in delight.

“It wasn’t easy. I gave it everything at the start to move forward. Unfortunately we didn’t have the pace of the McLarens. We got a bit lucky with one retiring,” said Verstappen, 27.

“In general, to be on the podium here is a great result. To be in second, I think is a really good achievement for us.” 

Hadjar, meanwhile, was thrilled.

“It feels a bit unreal,” the 20-year-old said. “Unfortunately for Lando we took advantage of his (DNF) but we did no mistakes.

“The car was on rails the whole weekend and I’m really happy about myself because I maximised what I had, made no mistakes and brought home the podium. So I’m so happy for my guys.

“(Being on the podium) was always the target since I was a kid. So this is my first step, my first podium and hopefully much more (to come).”

The big unknown in the run-up to the race had been the weather at the famously unpredictable circuit just off the North Sea coast.

Rain first fell around lap 15 and just 10 laps later, claimed its first victim, as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton slid his Ferrari off the track into the barriers.

“I’m so sorry, guys,” said an unhurt Hamilton, who at the last Grand Prix had described himself as a “completely useless” driver who should be replaced.

The safety car deployment bunched up the field again, but Piastri held off his determined teammate Norris, who in turn kept Verstappen at bay in third.

Behind the front runners, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc pulled off an extraordinary overtaking manoeuvre on Mercedes’ George Russell.

Since Zandvoort returned to the Formula One circuit in 2021, the driver who started on pole has won every time, the track notoriously difficult for overtaking.

And Norris struggled to get close enough to his teammate Piastri, who kept a typically cool head to produce solid, error-free laps.

But with 18 laps to go, there was more drama as Leclerc and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli touched wheels during an overtaking manoeuvre, sending the Ferrari spinning into the barriers to complete a catastrophic weekend for the Scuderia.

With the cars bunched up again after the safety car, Piastri pulled out his fastest lap to take control of the race once more.

With only seven laps to go, Norris reported smoke in his cockpit.

Piastri then held off a last-ditch challenge by Verstappen in the closing laps to take the chequered flag. REUTERS, AFP