George Russell won the first sprint race at Zandvoort. Starting from pole position, the Brit from Mercedes claimed the victory. Max Verstappen could do little from P6 and finished sixth. Overtaking proved to be quite a challenge on the dune circuit. The weather might have played a role in the sprint race, but it was only in the cooldown lap that the skies opened up above the Dutch coast.
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Sprint race at a glance:
The first sprint race at Zandvoort is about to begin. Max Verstappen and company have gathered on the grid for the start of the race, which lasts 24 laps. It is partly cloudy over Zandvoort, but according to the latest reports, it will remain dry during this opening battle. There is a tricky wind blowing and the FIA thermometers show ‘only’ 17 degrees Celsius. The track temperature is 25 degrees.
FORMATION LAP: The drivers are preparing for the start! Max Verstappen begins the sprint race from sixth place after a ‘challenging’ qualifying on Friday. He shares the third row with championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Ahead of them start Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc in P4 and P3 respectively. Reigning world champion Lando Norris is in P2, and George Russell starts Saturday from pole position.
LAP 1/24: The start goes without major issues. George Russell retains the lead despite pressure from Norris. Max Verstappen holds his sixth place but gains no positions. Kimi Antonelli manages to overtake Piastri and moves up to P4. Verstappen then launches an attack on the Australian. The top 10 remains unchanged for the rest.
LAP 3/24: Norris keeps close to Russell at the front but has not yet made an overtaking move. Verstappen sees Piastri pulling away; he struggles to keep up with the McLaren. Meanwhile, he has to defend against Lewis Hamilton, who is within one second of the Dutchman and chasing sixth place.
Russell retains the lead
LAP 6/24: Norris is closing in on Russell, who still leads this sprint race at Zandvoort. Behind them, Leclerc is busy dealing with the advancing Antonelli. Nico Hülkenberg, who lost many places at the start, is meanwhile told to send his Audi back to the pit lane. His sprint ends prematurely.
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LAP 11/24: Max Verstappen creates some breathing room and extends the gap to Hamilton to over two seconds. Overtaking in this Dutch sprint race remains very difficult for now. Leclerc and Antonelli have caught up with Norris and are aiming for second place. This also gives Russell a bit more space. The leader increases his advantage, but the gaps are minimal.
LAP 16/24: Oscar Piastri – the last winner of the Dutch Grand Prix in 2025 – is struggling to keep up the pace at the front. Verstappen is closing in on the McLaren driver, the gap is just over one second. However, there is no overtaking move yet. The top 10 remains unchanged compared to the start, except for the swap between Piastri and Antonelli.
LAP 18/24: Finally an overtaking move! Charles Leclerc places his Ferrari behind Lando Norris’s McLaren on the straight and dives to the inside at the Tarzan corner. The Monegasque gains one position and moves up to P2. Norris cannot immediately counter because Antonelli is now right behind him. Verstappen is still on Piastri’s heels.
Verstappen aims for P5
LAP 22/24: Oscar Piastri is informed that light rain may fall in the final phase of the race. Drops appear on various onboard cameras, but with two laps to go, it seems unlikely that the weather will still play a role in this sprint race. Mercedes reports that some precipitation may fall after the session.
LAP 24/24: George Russell wins the first battle at Zandvoort and crowns himself sprint winner. Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris complete the top 3. Max Verstappen crosses the line just behind Oscar Piastri in sixth. The home hero was unable to make any overtaking moves. The promised rain arrives just too late to shake up the race; only in the cooldown lap does the sky open up.
Read more ‘Russell takes pole in the lion’s den’ | Dutch GP Update
Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
