The final Dutch Grand Prix has concluded, and Lando Norris has won his second race in a row while Mercedes and Ferrari endure inter-team drama. For the record, that is how many races Ferrari and George Russell have won this year. What does this race tell us about the outcome of this season? Who are the winners and losers of Formula One’s first race after the summer break?
The sprint was a bore, with only Charles Leclerc making a move for points. George Russell won his third sprint race of the year, surpassing his Grand Prix win count of two. Fernando Alonso in the heavily revised Aston Martin with B-spec engine components climbed a few positions on pace alone, climbing from 22nd to 18th.
Lando Norris qualified on pole, followed by the Mercedes’ of Russell and Antonelli, Piastri in the other Mclaren, Hamilton and Leclerc of Ferrari, Verstappen leading Lawson in Red Bull, Bortoleto in his Audi and Lindblad in his Racing Bulls to complete the top 10. Max Verstappen had a spectacular crash in the second lap of the race after touching the damp white line on the inside of the final turn, pitching him into the wall and causing a red flag. Piastri switched to hards during the red flag, only to switch onto another set of hards in a normal-running pit stop. This cost him pace to the Ferraris. It was to cover off George Russell, but a slow stop cost him that track position. Oscar’s world champion teammate was unrelenting on the pursuit of Antonelli, resulting in a 3-car battle for first involving Hamilton, Antonelli and Norris. Antonelli tried unsuccessfully to force a defensive shape out of Hamilton, which allowed Norris to capitalize on the mistake and take the lead, where he would remain.
Both Ferrari and Mercedes had the same team order drama. Hamilton was lapping a second a lap faster than Leclerc (and was very vocal about it), but Leclerc had refused to let his teammate by until Ferrari pitted Leclerc, likely costing a podium for Hamilton. Mercedes invoked team orders against Russell, requesting him move aside for his championship-leading teammate amid the looming Ferrari threat behind them. By some bizarre turn of events, Russell swapped positions with Antonelli, further increasing the gap between the teammates in the World Driver’s Championship. While Russell did successfully hold back Hamilton, it seems like an odd decision from a team that started the race 72 points clear of its rival. Max’s crash early on allowed Lawson to finish 7th in what he described as “a lonely race.” Hulkenberg scored more points for Audi finishing 8th, but more sensationally Fernando Alonso drove his Aston Martin to 9th place on pure pace. No luck from VSC’s, and a bizarre, 30-odd-laps-on-the-softs strategy, just Alonso magic. Near the back, the Williams drivers collided while battling with each other for 15th place and resulting in a DNF for Albon who had been in the points earlier on in the race. Verstappen, Bearman, Stroll, Ocon, Bottas and Albon all DNF’d. Yuki Tsunoda scored a respectable 11th place, ahead of his teammate Arvid Lindblad and helped his case for a return to the sport.
If George is still considered a championship contender, I suppose so should Lando. Lando sits 83 points down from Kimi, compared to a more manageable (but still large) gap of 59 points for Hamilton and Russell to overcome. The reigning world champion has finally come into form this season following a successful upgrade package for his Mclaren. Ferrari, as predicted, had yet another “we’ll get ‘em next time” weekend, having to deal with suboptimal track position from qualifying, a strategy gamble and infighting. This is Antonelli’s championship to lose. He has been consistent, fast and level-headed all season, and has stayed resilient and determined even after a DNF in Spain and significant car troubles in Silverstone. If Russell wants to win, he has to start out-scoring Kimi and moving aside for team orders is not how to do it. If Hamilton and Ferrari want to win, there needs to be some changes. Ferrari needs to rally behind Hamilton who is leading Leclerc. There should be no more fence sitting if Ferrari is serious about a championship fight. It is no secret that Hamilton is seeking his 8th championship. I would not hold my breath if I were Lando. He would need to go on a generational run to overcome his 83 point gap. There is always the youth factor that Antonelli possesses. He turns 20 years old before the next Grand Prix. His rivals are all considerably more experienced than him, and can withstand the pressure over a season. His rookie mistakes like his trip to the gravel in SQ1 and rash attack against Hamilton are certainly a weakness to consider, particularly if Ferrari lands an upgrade that puts the team on par with Mercedes.
This was a fitting farewell to the unique Zandervoort circuit. A storied track with a flowing, winding road through the sand dunes on the north sea. Its final race saw dramatic DNF’s, exciting on-track action and will likely be a pivotal moment in this year’s championship race.