Well, the Dutch Grand Prix brought layers of drama, lap after lap. From Verstappen overtaking Norris on Lap 1, to Hadjar scoring a maiden podium position, the excitement just kept coming. When the checkered flag was waved, it was Oscar Piastri who would stand on the top step this race, Verstappen in second at his home race, and Isack Hadjar in P3. Below are all of the highlights from a dramatic Grand Prix.
- Lando Norris Suffers DNF After Running P2
- Lando Norris’ race was not short of excitement, after a start that saw Max Verstappen get past and up into second place. Luckily for the Britain, he managed a risky move round the outside of Turn 1 to take the place back, where he ran for the majority of the race. However, with just a handful of laps to go, Norris reported smelling ‘something funny’, and smoke started billowing out of his McLaren. Norris was forced to pull over and retire from the race due to the mechanical issue, and is now 34 points behind his teammate and Championship leader Oscar Piastri. The moment could prove significant in the title battle, as there’s only nine more races for Lando to bring the gap back down and take the lead.
- Double DNF for Ferrari
- Ferrari haven’t been having the best season so far, and there was hope that they’d be on the up and up after summer break. However, things didn’t go as planned for the team at the Dutch Grand Prix. On Lap 23, Lewis Hamilton slid, crashing into the barriers and triggering a safety car. Another came out much later in the race to recover the other Ferrari, this time of Charles Leclerc, who had gotten caught out by Kimi Antonelli and had collided with the barriers. The rookie Mercedes driver earned a 10 second penalty for the incident, but that’ll hardly lift Ferrari’s spirits, as the disappointment from this race will not do the team’s confidence any good going into the next Grand Prix.
- Isack Hadjar Drove to an Impressive P3
- Isack Hadjar’s result will be a talking point this weekend, though perhaps a little overshadowed by Norris’ and Ferrari drivers’ retirements. However, it was an incredibly impressive drive from the Racing Bulls rookie, who started from fourth on the grid, and managed to maintain the place the whole race, holding off the likes of Charles Leclerc and George Russell, to ultimately be in the position to take advantage of the opportunity to secure a maiden podium that came his way late in the race. The result has bumped the Frenchman up to tenth in the Championship standings, tied with Nico Hulkenberg. Racing Bulls has also surpassed Kick Sauber in the Constructors’ Championship, to take seventh place.
- Double Points Finishes for Haas and Aston Martin
- The shock retirements also gave some midfeild runners a chance for a big points haul, and Haas and Aston Martin definitely took advantage. Haas ran a different strategy than most of the other drivers, pitting late in the race during a safety car. With fresh tires bolted on, the two were able to get some overtaking done, and Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon finished sixth and tenth, respectively. The result meant the team took away a total of 9 points from the race. Aston Martin also scored a double points finish, something the team really needed after having to rebuild Lance Stroll’s car two times before the GP. Thanks to some good driving and perfectly timed pit stops, Stroll and Fernando Alonso were seventh and eighth by the time the checkered flag was waved.
- Multiple On-Track Battles and Post-Race Investigations
- Multiple penalties were handed out during the race today, and there was other incidents that have yet to be investigated. Lewis Hamilton’s possible yellow flag infringement will be scrutinized, as will the issue of Bortoleto’s Kick Sauber being driven in an unsafe condition. George Russell and Charles Leclerc had a dramatic on-track battle that led to Leclerc running off track and colliding wheels with Russell, in a scrap that the Ferrari driver eventually won. However, the stewards will be investigating the incident as to if either driver was in the wrong during the battle. Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson both suffered from their battle, after Lawson had a puncture and the pit crew had to replace the front wing on Sainz’s Williams. Carlos Sainz was the one given a 10 second penalty for causing a collision.
