- 123 Comments
Lando Norris retired from second place with an apparent engine failure as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri took a controlled victory in an incident-strewn Dutch Grand Prix.
Norris lost second to Max Verstappen on the first lap, but pressured Piastri throughout after reclaiming the place a few laps later.
Piastri was always in control and Norris was on course for a comfortable second place only for his car to stop in a cloud of smoke with seven laps to go.
The dramatic turn of events at the end of a chaotic race featuring three safety cars and multiple crashes and incidents could be decisive in the private title fight between Piastri and Norris.
The Australian’s seventh victory in 13 races this season, in which Piastri has been the model of coolness and consistency, extends his championship lead to 34 points.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen inherited second place, and Norris’ retirement elevated French rookie Isack Hadjar, 20, to an outstanding first career podium finish.
The key stories from a race full of drama were:
A huge blow for Norris
Norris sat on the dunes beside the seaside Zandvoort circuit, helmet on, with his head in his hands after climbing out of his stricken McLaren, as he digested the ramifications of his retirement.
The Briton had been poised for second place behind Piastri, who had controlled the race consummately from pole position throughout a series of incidents, including briefly threatening rain.
That in itself would have been a blow to Norris, who had arrived in the Netherlands after winning three of the past four races.
But his second retirement of the year – following Norris crashing out of the Canadian Grand Prix in June after hitting the back of his team-mate’s car – has dealt a body blow to his hopes.
Ferrari’s day of darkness
Ferrari have struggled for competitiveness all weekend and Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were running fifth and seventh in the first part of the race, Leclerc trying in vain to challenge Hadjar and Hamilton pressuring his former Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
Light rain began to fall after about 20 laps and on lap 23 Hamilton got off line through the banked Hugenholtzbocht hairpin.
A snap of oversteer sent him even higher than the normal high line there, and he could not avoid the end of the barrier on the exit of the corner. He clipped it and crashed into the wall.
That brought out the first safety car, and Leclerc was involved in the second, although he was not at fault.
Leclerc had been running ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, and when the Italian pitted for fresh soft tyres on lap 51, Ferrari responded on the following lap.
As Leclerc rejoined, Antonelli was right behind him and the Mercedes dived for the inside of Hugenholtz.
The move was not really on, and Antonelli’s front right tyre tagged Leclerc’s right rear, pitching the Ferrari into a crash.
Incidents galore
Leclerc had already been involved in another incident, when he dived for the inside of Russell in the second part of the Turn 12/13 chicane.
Leclerc accused Russell of moving under braking, Russell accused Leclerc of overtaking by going off the track on the inside, and stewards will investigate the incident after the race.
They can also expect a visit from Carlos Sainz, who felt aggrieved to have been the driver penalised for a collision between his Williams and the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson at the first corner, Tarzan, on lap 27.
Sainz went for a move on the outside, and was not fully alongside as they entered the corner.
That, according to the rules, means Lawson did not have to give him space, but the two collided long before the exit as Lawson squeezed Sainz through the middle of the corner.
Sainz felt that move from the New Zealander was unfair and when he was informed of his penalty by his team, he said: “”Me? You’re joking. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in my life.
A third safety car for Norris’ car to be recovered from the side of the track on the run towards the fast Turn Seven, two virtual safety cars to recover debris from the track, and a frantic final few laps for the final points as drivers on varying tyre life fought for position distracted from a fine drive from Hadjar.
Racing Bulls felt it would be difficult for the rookie to hold on to the fourth place from which he started after his career-best qualifying performance.
But Hadjar was flawless in the race, calmly fending off Leclerc in the first sprint, briefly threatening Verstappen in the second, and easily holding both Mercedes drivers at bay.
He would have taken fourth had it not been for Norris’ failure, but his podium was well deserved and will only increase his chances of being promoted to become Verstappen’s team-mate next year, especially after another lacklustre weekend from the second Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda.
Russell benefited from Antonelli’s misadventures to take fourth for Mercedes, while fifth place for Alex Albon after a strong race in the Williams has given his team a big boost in their attempt to fend off any challenge to their fifth place in the constructors’ championship.
Behind him, Oliver Bearman was helped by the Leclerc safety car because it enabled him to pit for tyres after a long, long first stint without losing much time, and he fought past Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, which was on old tyres, to take a career-best sixth place.
Top 10
1) Piastri
2) Verstappen
3) Hadjar
4) Russell
5) Albon
6) Bearman
7) Stroll
8) Alonso
9) Tsunoda
How it stands
What’s next?
Related topics
- Formula 1
