RACE REPORT | F1 Netherlands 2025

Oscar Piastri secured a dominant victory at the Dutch Grand Prix after a chaotic race filled with safety cars, penalties and dramatic crashes. Max Verstappen finished second in front of his home crowd, while rookie Isack Hadjar impressed with his first Formula 1 podium in third place.

The long-awaited Dutch Grand Prix took place under cloudy skies. Most of the grid began on medium tyres, with four drivers on softs and two on hards. The race got underway without problems, and Piastri made a clean start, keeping the lead. Verstappen slotted into second ahead of Norris at Turn 1, although Norris briefly fought back and forced Verstappen into a near spin before the Dutchman regained the place.

At the end of lap one, the top 10 was as follows: Piastri, Verstappen, Norris, Hadjar, Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Lawson, Sainz and Albon. Alex Albon made a brilliant start, climbing from 15th to 10th in just one lap, while Gabriel Bortoleto dropped several positions. On lap five, Franco Colapinto overtook teammate Pierre Gasly into Turn 1. From lap three onwards, Piastri held the fastest lap and built a lead of more than three seconds over Verstappen.

On lap eight, Charles Leclerc closed in on Hadjar but couldn’t find a way past. One lap later, Norris overtook Verstappen around the outside of Turn 1 and also claimed the fastest lap.

By lap 13, Kimi Antonelli was battling Yuki Tsunoda for 11th. Bortoleto damaged his front wing in contact with Lance Stroll but continued. Leclerc still trailed Hadjar without success, until rain began falling on lap 17, threatening to shake up the order. Fernando Alonso switched to hard tyres on lap 20 but dropped to the back. As the rain intensified, more drivers pitted.

On lap 23, Lewis Hamilton hit the wall between Turns 3 and 4, bringing out the first safety car. His teammate Leclerc had pitted just before, while Hamilton’s crash allowed others a free stop. ¨

Racing got back underway on lap 26. At the restart, Russell attempted to overtake Hadjar for fourth into Turn 1, while Sainz and Lawson tangled, sending both to the rear. Albon moved up to seventh.

On lap 31, Antonelli dived inside Albon at Turn 1 but Albon defended strongly. A Virtual Safety Car was deployed to clear debris from the earlier Sainz–Lawson clash. When racing resumed, Leclerc forced his way past Russell for fifth, running wide through the gravel and making light contact, but still taking the spot. Sainz was handed a 10-second penalty for causing the collision.

By lap 35, Antonelli had finally overtaken Albon for seventh. The Leclerc–Russell incident was noted for investigation after the race.

On lap 45, the order was Piastri, Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar, Leclerc, Antonelli, Russell, Albon, Stroll and Ocon.

Later in the race, Alonso made progress from 16th to 15th with overtakes on Hulkenberg and Bortoleto. On lap 53, Antonelli collided with Leclerc at Turn 3, sending the Ferrari into the barriers and out of the race. With Hamilton already retired, it was a disastrous day for Ferrari. Antonelli received a 10-second penalty for the crash, and later another 5-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

On lap 65, smoke appeared in Lando Norris’s cockpit, forcing him to retire and bringing out another safety car. By lap 68, the top 10 was Piastri, Verstappen, Hadjar, Russell, Albon, Antonelli, Bearman, Stroll, Alonso, and Gasly.

At the restart, Tsunoda and Gasly made contact, dropping Gasly to the back. In the end, Oscar Piastri crossed the line first to win the Dutch Grand Prix. Max Verstappen finished second, and Isack Hadjar claimed a sensational maiden podium in third. Russell came home fourth, followed by Albon and Bearman. Antonelli fell outside the top 10 once his penalty was applied.

Race results – 2025 Dutch Grand Prix

1st Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2nd Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.271
3rd Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +3.233
4th George Russell (Mercedes) +5.654
5th Alexander Albon (Williams) +6.327
6th Oliver Bearman (Haas) +9.044
7th Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +9.497
8th Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +11.709
9th Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +13.597
10th Esteban Ocon (Haas) +14.063
11th Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +14.511
12th Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +17.063
13th Carlos Sainz (Williams) +17.376
14th Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber) +19.725
15th Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) +21.565
16th Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +22.029
17th Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +23.639

DNF Lando Norris (McLaren)
DNF Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
DNF Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)