Oscar Piastri delivered a flawless drive to win the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, tightening his grip on the Formula 1 title race after teammate and closest rival Lando Norris retired late on with an oil leak.
Starting from pole, the 24-year-old Australian controlled the race from lights to flag, staying composed through light rain and three safety-car restarts. His victory extends his championship lead to 34 points, a decisive swing with only nine races left.
Norris had been running second and keeping Piastri under pressure, but disaster struck with just seven laps to go when smoke poured from his McLaren cockpit. Forced to pull over, he sat dejectedly on the dunes as his title hopes suffered a major blow. “It hurts a bit for sure in a championship point of view,” Norris admitted, though he vowed to remain focused.
Lewis Hamilton also endured a nightmare, crashing out in his Ferrari on lap 21 after losing grip on damp painted track markings. The seven-time champion apologized to his team but remained upbeat, describing the weekend as “a step forward” despite the crash.
Behind Piastri, Max Verstappen claimed second for Red Bull, while rookie Isack Hadjar impressed with his first career podium in third for Racing Bulls. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, Alex Albon took fifth for Williams, and Oliver Bearman grabbed a strong sixth for Haas.
With Monza looming next weekend, Norris faces a steep uphill battle to claw back ground, while Piastri looks increasingly poised for his first world championship.
