If there have been any fears after Saturday’s mind-numbing dash show that the Netherlands would ship off its Method 1 revival with a dud, then these fears had been washed away in a sudden bathe one hour earlier than Sunday’s race, across the time the beginning grid began opening for enterprise.
The rain did not persist into the race itself, however prompted simply sufficient havoc to make Zandvoort’s dune loop slippery, resulting in carnage on the finish of lap 1.
Photograph by: Anni Graf – Method 1 through Getty Photographs
Of all individuals, it was residence hero Max Verstappen who tripped up within the situations, making a uncommon mistake by being too keen together with his proper foot coming onto the primary straight. The in any other case flat-out Luyendyk nook was notably damp, with Verstappen veering straight into the skin wall after tapping the white line on the within.
The top end result was an enormous crash, although the Dutchman was lucky to not be collected by oncoming visitors. It is not the tip end result he or the military of orange clad followers had been hoping for on the occasion’s swansong, however each the four-time world champion and Zandvoort have had an excellent run, with Verstappen successful the primary three editions. Verstappen’s contract extension, which is meant to maintain him in F1 till 2030, ought to soften the blow too.
Photograph by: John Thys / AFP through Getty Photographs
Saturday’s dash did not notably fill McLaren with confidence, with the staff’s inferior race tempo and tyre administration on the medium compound making it unable to maintain up with winner George Russell, whereas Ferrari additionally appeared intrinsically faster.
However within the arms of Norris, Sunday was a unique story for the upgraded McLaren. Whereas Norris was unable to carry off Antonelli on the standing restart, on Pirelli’s arduous tyre the reigning world champion was an absolute demon as he swept previous the erstwhile chief after which picked off Lewis Hamilton on the identical lap.
His staff boss Andrea Stella credited the staff’s set-up changes after a a lot poorer dash, but additionally reserved particular reward for Norris as Oscar Piastri struggled way more aboard the opposite automobile.
“I feel Lando had an additional [gear] when it comes to understanding learn how to use this [hard] compound,” Stella stated. “These situations, I feel that is the place he can categorical his pure driving model.”
As his most up-to-date grand prix wins in Budapest and Zandvoort have proven, Norris is arguably working at his peak proper now.
Photograph by: Clive Mason / Getty Photographs
Totally different automobile, completely different function, completely different staff management. The circumstances round Liam Lawson’s one-off Pink Bull return could not have been extra completely different than his first calamitous journey with the squad at first of 2025, which lasted all of two rounds.
Communicate to anybody who works or has labored with him, and it’s clear Lawson has modified too – extra mature for the character-building expertise, and extra well-rounded as a grand prix driver.
That is all very simple to say, however within the Netherlands Lawson was really handed a shock alternative to again that up with details. Subbing for the injured Isack Hadjar, he soldiered on by way of his one-off weekend with aplomb, regardless of driving what he skilled as an “totally completely different” automobile apart from the facility unit.
A distant seventh-place was all that was on provide on Sunday as Pink Bull was the fourth-fastest staff by far. That is all Pink Bull may have requested for from its stand-in.
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Loser: Ferrari
One more weekend goes by the place Ferrari has a fast automobile however in some way manages to not convey it to the rostrum. Race weekend execution stays a sore matter for the Scuderia, between sub-optimal out-laps in qualifying to pitstops to race technique.
Lewis Hamilton made an astute commentary on Sunday, after getting fed up with Ferrari dilly-dallying on its determination to both swap positions with Charles Leclerc or pit his team-mate, as ended up taking place. When George Russell was requested to swap with Kimi Antonelli, the Briton did not notably prefer it however instantly acted, with neither driver dropping a lot time within the course of.
“Mercedes execute like that,” Hamilton stated. “They have the automobile that is preventing for the championship within the lead, and so they did it immediately. Right here I am sitting again, dropping seconds. One thing that we have to talk about offline.”
Issues may have been completely different with out the late digital security automobile, which probably saved Russell’s podium spot from Hamilton. However all these little issues are beginning to add up because the seven-time world champion and Ferrari try to remain within the battle with an under-powered engine.
Photograph by: Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
The Zandvoort weekend was shaping as much as be fairly bleak for Aston Martin on Friday when driveability points with Honda’s upgraded engine made it arduous sufficient for Fernando Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll to remain on the black stuff, by no means thoughts construct on the staff’s Hungary progress.
There nonetheless weren’t any miracles on Sunday, however there was sufficient efficiency within the AMR26 to make a daring one-stop technique work for Alonso, getting one over Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and the Racing Bulls drivers.
“Method 1 is just not a mysterious sport,” stated Alonso, the primary driver aged 45 or older to attain factors since 1974. “You must convey efficiency and outperform rivals to attain factors and it is what we’re doing. So, congratulations everybody in Silverstone and hopefully we will convey extra.”
Photograph by: Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
You can make a giant deal in regards to the contact between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon on the finish of the race. However way more damning than the Williams-on-Williams violence itself is the truth that the collision, triggered by Sainz locking up his previous arduous tyres in Flip 1, was completely meaningless, as the 2 drivers had been racing no one however themselves for fifteenth.
Williams is caught in survival mode till its underdeveloped package deal receives some much-needed upgrades in Azerbaijan. However following Aston Martin’s vital step ahead, it is now simply racing Cadillac and – on an excellent day – Haas.
The excellent news of this week is that each drivers have dedicated their future to the staff for subsequent 12 months, eradicating a few of the noise and distractions that had been clouding the image in current weeks. However, as staff principal James Vowles admitted on Friday, there will not be any short-term fixes for Williams.
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Method 1 through Getty Photographs
As Liam Lawson deserves reward for coming full circle on his profitable Pink Bull return, so does YukI Tsunoda. The Japanese driver was a spark plug on his one-off outing after spending 2026 on the sidelines, soaking all of it in as he savoured an expertise he wasn’t positive he would ever be granted once more.
A future in IndyCar might properly await, by way of Yuki Tsunoda’s fastidiously cultivated Honda connections. However final weekend, the 26-year-old may name himself an F1 driver once more, and he did an honest job sticking near common driver Arvid Lindblad all through the weekend.
“Truthfully, I missed this sort of feeling, chasing these previous couple of milliseconds,” Tsunoda stated after qualifying. “I’m tremendous having fun with it.”
After simply lacking out on a degree on Sunday, he added: “I do know what I can do and I feel I just about confirmed what I can do to many of the paddock.
“Now it is as much as my supervisor and different groups, who have not determined but about subsequent 12 months’s line-up, in the event that they wish to have me or not. Name me, please!” Tsunoda joked earlier than being whisked away.
Photograph by: Eric Le Galliot
How will you not give Nico Hulkenberg a shout-out for his excellent reflexes on the finish of lap 1, which saved his Audi team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto from an terrible accident? You’ll be able to’t, so honest play.
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