Lando Norris claimed his second consecutive Formula 1 victory by winning the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort ahead of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. After triumphing in Budapest, the McLaren driver confirmed the team’s recent progress with another victory, while Max Verstappen’s home race ended dramatically with a high-speed crash on the opening lap.
Hungary and Zandvoort naturally emphasised some of the MCL40’s strongest characteristics, particularly through long and fast corners, but there was much more behind Sunday’s victory than simply circuit layout. McLaren reacted to the weaknesses exposed during the Sprint, adjusted the car and ultimately produced a package capable of beating Mercedes over the full Grand Prix distance.
McLaren fixes rear degradation problem after Dutch GP Sprint
The Sprint had revealed a degree of rear tyre degradation on the MCL40, a weakness that also helped Charles Leclerc overtake Lando Norris during the closing stages. McLaren learned from those warning signs and changed the set-up before Saturday’s qualifying session.
Those corrections proved decisive in the Grand Prix. The latest McLaren MCL40 rear-end developments, combined with the revised set-up, allowed the Woking team to manage the rear tyres more effectively than Mercedes, which suffered more noticeably from rear degradation.
That became the key to McLaren’s victory and particularly to Lando Norris’s race. In the final phase, running on the hard tyre, the British driver was able to close in on Kimi Antonelli and overtake the Mercedes driver for the lead.
Lando Norris passes Kimi Antonelli and controls Dutch GP
Kimi Antonelli had taken the virtual lead following the restart after Max Verstappen’s opening-lap accident and the subsequent red flag. Norris, however, remained a threat and eventually used his stronger pace on the hard compound to catch and pass the championship leader.
Once ahead, Lando Norris took control of the race and managed the closing stages with authority, eventually crossing the line more than 10 seconds clear.
The victory represented another significant confirmation of McLaren’s recent rise after Budapest and demonstrated that the team had successfully addressed some of the problems exposed earlier in the Zandvoort weekend.
Kimi Antonelli recovers second after late Mercedes position swap
Kimi Antonelli had to work harder for second place than the final result might suggest. A Virtual Safety Car with around 15 laps remaining dropped the Italian behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell after the pit-stop sequence, although Antonelli emerged with fresher and softer tyres.
Within a few laps, Kimi Antonelli closed the gap to Russell. With Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton also approaching from behind, Mercedes facilitated the move by asking Russell to swap positions with Antonelli with approximately six laps remaining.
Antonelli therefore recovered the second position he had occupied before his final stop and immediately built a safety margin over the chasing group. His podium also strengthened his position at the top of the Formula 1 driver standings.
George Russell holds off Ferrari for final podium place
George Russell completed the podium after a determined defensive drive in the closing laps, resisting both Ferraris despite a clear tyre disadvantage.
Russell remained on the hard compound fitted during his second pit stop. Ferrari, by contrast, took advantage of the Virtual Safety Car caused by Esteban Ocon’s stoppage to bring its cars into the pits and fit soft tyres for an attack during the final stages.
The tyre decision reflected the strategic possibilities expected before the race, with the Zandvoort tyre strategy making the hard compound a key race tyre while leaving the softer compounds available as aggressive alternatives.
A second Virtual Safety Car with two laps remaining interrupted the rhythm of the battle and gave Russell some breathing space. Even so, the Mercedes driver still had to defend strongly to preserve third place from Lewis Hamilton, who eventually finished fourth.
Lewis Hamilton fourth as Charles Leclerc finishes fifth
Lewis Hamilton led Ferrari home in fourth place, while Charles Leclerc crossed the line fifth. The two Ferrari drivers had both been given the opportunity to attack Russell on fresher soft tyres, but neither was able to take the final podium position away from the Mercedes.
Oscar Piastri finished sixth in the second McLaren. The Australian was never truly in contention after the opening stages, when it initially appeared that his hard tyres might allow him to remain in the fight. Instead, Piastri gradually lost ground as the race developed and eventually slipped back to sixth.
Liam Lawson delivers strong Red Bull result after late call-up
Few expected miracles from Liam Lawson before the weekend after he was recalled to Red Bull to replace the injured Isack Hadjar. The New Zealander nevertheless produced an impressive and error-free weekend, securing a valuable seventh-place finish.
The circumstances of his return were particularly demanding. Lawson had only spent a few hours driving the RB22 in the simulator on Wednesday before travelling to Zandvoort, following the injury that forced Isack Hadjar out of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Although the performance gap between the leading teams and the midfield has widened this season, Lawson delivered exactly what Red Bull required from him, completing a solid weekend without major mistakes.
Nico Hulkenberg charges to eighth after avoiding Bortoleto spin
Nico Hulkenberg produced an excellent race to finish eighth, building his result through a combination of overtaking and consistently competitive pace.
His race could easily have been compromised after only one lap when team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto spun directly ahead of him. Despite the cloud of smoke generated by the Brazilian’s car, Hulkenberg reacted superbly to avoid contact before recovering to establish the foundations of his eventual eighth-place finish.
Fernando Alonso brings Aston Martin back into the points
Fernando Alonso also finished in the points after an impressive race for Aston Martin. The Silverstone team has found renewed momentum between Budapest and Zandvoort thanks to developments made to both the chassis and power unit.
Qualifying performance still requires considerable improvement, but the reduction in Aston Martin’s deficit to the leaders is an encouraging sign. The team is beginning to return to points contention, and its strategy worked precisely because Alonso had the race pace required to make it effective.
Pierre Gasly claimed the final point in 10th place after overtaking Yuki Tsunoda with only a few laps remaining.
Max Verstappen crashes out on opening lap at Zandvoort
Max Verstappen’s final home Dutch Grand Prix ended almost immediately. The four-time world champion crashed into the barriers at the final corner during the opening lap after losing control of his Red Bull at approximately 200 km/h.
The impact forced race control to stop the Grand Prix so that the damaged car could be removed and debris cleared from the circuit. It brought an abrupt end to a weekend in which Max Verstappen had paid tribute to his home supporters ahead of Zandvoort’s final Formula 1 race.
Max Verstappen had pushed too hard during the opening lap, touching the still-wet white line and losing control of the car. Gabriel Bortoleto experienced a similar moment behind him, but the Brazilian was more fortunate and avoided hitting the barriers.
For McLaren, the opposite story unfolded. The team responded to its Sprint weaknesses, found a better balance and gave Lando Norris the platform to defeat Mercedes. After Budapest and now Zandvoort, two consecutive victories have provided the clearest evidence yet that the MCL40 has become a much stronger force in the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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