NORRIS DISPUTES ANTONELLI'S MERCEDES CLAIM AFTER BEATING CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER AT DUTCH GP

Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli.Photo: RacePictures

Lando Norris has disputed Kimi Antonelli's claim that Mercedes are no longer the fastest car in Formula 1, after beating the Italian to victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Antonelli finished second at Zandvoort, after the championship leader was overtaken by the reigning champion, who went on to claim his second consecutive victory after his triumph in Hungary.

The Mercedes teenager, who only has one win in his last six races, after winning five back-to-back races prior to that, claimed after the race that he now only has the 'second or third best car'. However, Norris disagreed with his rival's assessment, arguing that Mercedes remain the benchmark despite McLaren's victory.

Antonelli: 'We're clearly not the fastest car anymore'

Speaking in the post-race press conference, Antonelli told the media: "We're clearly not the fastest car anymore on the grid. We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought.

"But I’m confident with the team. You know, the team has been working super hard on this next package that is coming up, and they just want to make sure that it’s going to work out well once we put it on.

"So for sure, in this race, it’s going to be more difficult, it’s going to be challenging, but we’re ready to do our best and to maximise every opportunity. And then hopefully it’s going to be our turn to bring the package that’s going to give us a little bit of the upper hand again.

Norris disagrees with Antonelli's Mercedes claim

Norris, who showed up at the press conference later than the two Mercedes drivers who joined him on the podium, disagreed with Antonelli insisting they still have the 'better all-round performing car'. He also credited his own performance after his second consecutive victory.

Asked about Antonelli's comments, he responded: "Well, they’re not going to say themselves, are they? So, yeah, no, they’re not going to say themselves. So they’re the team to beat if they just got beaten today, so I don’t think it’s true."

He added: "But for once I would give myself a little bit of credit that I feel like I’m doing a better job than everyone, and I think that can also make a difference. We certainly have a car now capable of beating them. Even, like, we look at yesterday and in qualifying, but we didn’t win yesterday and we didn’t really change much.

"But I worked a lot on my driving. I want to believe more than everyone else again, and we turned things around today. So we certainly have a very similar car, I would say, all in all, to Mercedes, but I think they have a better all-round performing car than what we do. We are more specific in high speed."

- Kieran Lynch

LEWIS HAMILTON BLAMES FERRARI ON PODIUM MISS AT ZANDVOORT FAREWELL

 

DUTCH GRAND PRIX RESULTS AF ZANDVOORT FAREWELL

 

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON FURIOUS AT FERRARI DURING THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX

 

MAX VERSTAPPEN HEALTH UPDATE AFTER HUGE DUTCH GP CRASH

RacingNews365 understands that Max Verstappen is uninjured following his huge accident on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix.

© XPBimages

Max Verstappen is uninjured and okay following his huge accident on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix, RacingNews365 understands.

On the first tour of Zandvoort, Verstappen lost control of the Red Bull rounding the banked final corner, with rain having fallen in the 30 minutes prior to the race, and smashed into the concrete wall on the outside of the track.

He then spun across the track and into the wall on the inside - albeit this secondary impact was at lower speed.

He was able to climb unaided from the car and reported that he was okay, but given the g-forces involved in the accident, he was required to make a mandatory visit to the medical centre for a health check. 

RacingNews365 understands that Verstappen did not suffer any injuries in the accident, and is spending time in the Red Bull energy station in the paddock, before attending to his media duties. 

- RN365 Staff

F1 DUTCH GP RED-FLAGGED AFTER MASSIVE MAX VERSTAPPEN CRASH

The Dutch Grand Prix has been red-flagged following a huge crash for Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen smashes into the barriers in the opening stages

Formula 1's Dutch Grand Prix has been red-flagged following a huge crash for Max Verstappen. 

Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull in damp conditions at the final corner before slamming into the concrete barriers hard at the end of the first lap. 

The Dutchman immediately confirmed he was ok over team radio but his Red Bull suffered substantial damage. 

Other drivers managed to avoid Verstappen as he slewed back across the track, though Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto spun on his own behind at the same corner. Unlike Verstappen, the Brazilian avoided hitting anything. 

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

Big crash at the end of the first lap 💥

And it's agony for Max Verstappen - he's out ❌#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/qD5f3tB9XO

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2026

The final F1 race to be held at Zandvoort has been red-flagged on lap three. 

It marks a hugely disappointing outcome for Verstappen at his final home F1 race.

A heavy downpour of rain had hit the track around 45 minutes before the start, but conditions dried up enough before the start for the field to start the race on slicks.

The top-10 order under the red flag is Lando Norris, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. 

Norris retained the lead from pole position but Russell lost out to his Mercedes team-mate Antonelli.

Total heartbreak for Max in his final race at Zandvoort 💔

Verstappen makes his way back to the pits on foot#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/gjPiU34hbG

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2026

Leclerc had a fast start to jump Ferrari team-mate Hamilton, who banged wheels with Verstappen. The seven-time world champion also lost out to Piastri. 

The race will resume with a standing restart in the order the field was in at the end of the first lap. 

- Lewis Larkam

FINAL FAREWELL OF CIRCUIT ZANDVOORT GRID | 2026

 

DUTCH GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING GAPS 🔥

 

ISACK HADJAR COULD MISS DUTCH GP WITH LIAM LAWSON IN LINE FOR SHOCK RED BULL F1 RETURN

Isack Hadjar will reportedly miss this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix due to injury.

Hadjar picked up a wrist injury over F1's summer break

Isack Hadjar has reportedly been ruled out of the Dutch Grand Prix because of injury, opening the door for a surprise Red Bull Formula 1 return for Liam Lawson. 

Dutch publication De Telegraaf claims Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during a gym session over F1’s summer break that is likely to result in him missing this weekend’s race at Zandvoort. The report notes that a final decision has not yet been made by Red Bull. 

Should Hadjar indeed be sidelined, Lawson has been tipped to replace him and complete a shock return to the Red Bull senior team alongside Max Verstappen for the weekend.

Lawson is set to return to Red Bull for one weekend

Lawson was brutally demoted from Red Bull back to sister team Racing Bulls just two races into the 2025 season, having been brought in to take Sergio Perez’s place over the winter. 

If Hadjar cannot participate, it would also provide Yuki Tsunoda with an unexpected F1 reprieve. The Japanese driver, who acts as Red Bull’s reserve driver, would fill in for Lawson at Racing Bulls at Zandvoort. 

Tsunoda, who stepped up to replace Lawson early in 2025, has been out of F1 since making way for Hadjar at the end of last season, having become the latest victim of Red Bull’s ruthless driver shuffles. 

Ironically, Zandvoort was where Lawson made his F1 debut when he was drafted as a last-minute substitute after Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand in a practice crash ahead of the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. 

It was also the scene of Hajdar’s maiden F1 podium finish during an impressive rookie campaign that led to the Frenchman ultimately earning the top drive at Red Bull this year. 

Missing this weekend would give Hadjar two weeks to recover before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 6 September. 

- Lewis Larkam

FORMULA 1 STANDINGS HEADING TO ZANDVOORT 🔥

 

WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME F1 SAID GOODBYE TO ZANDVOORT IN 1985?

Photo: Race Pictures

Formula 1 is preparing to bid farewell to Zandvoort, with the final Dutch Grand Prix set to take place this weekend. But what happened the last time the Dutch circuit hosted what was supposed to be its final F1 race? Back in 1985, Zandvoort staged a memorable Grand Prix before disappearing from the calendar for 36 years.

Few may remember that more than 40 years ago in the Netherlands, Niki Lauda claimed what would prove to be the 25th and final victory of his Formula 1 career, before retiring from the sport for good at the age of 36 at the end of the season.

The 1985 Dutch Grand Prix took place on 25 August as the 11th round of the season, just one week after reigning world champion Niki Lauda had announced that he would retire from Formula 1 for good at the end of the year.

Nelson Piquet started from pole position for Brabham-BMW after setting a 1:11.074, while Lauda faced a much tougher task from 10th on the grid in his McLaren. The Austrian gradually worked his way through the field, with his race strategy eventually helping him move ahead of teammate Alain Prost and into the lead.

Photo: Race Pictures

What followed was a tense battle between the two McLaren drivers in the closing stages. Prost had the stronger pace and underlined it by setting the fastest lap of the race on Lap 57, but could not find a way past his teammate. Lauda held on all the way to the chequered flag, beating Prost by just two tenths of a second in one of the closest finishes in Formula 1 history.

Five races later, Lauda brought his Formula 1 career to an end at the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. Zandvoort, meanwhile, was also saying goodbye to the championship, although for very different reasons. Financial difficulties and ageing facilities ultimately made it impossible for the Dutch Grand Prix to retain its place on the calendar, despite Bernie Ecclestone reportedly attempting to help keep the event alive.

F1 summer break almost over: Full schedule for Dutch GP's final farewell

With the summer break now drawing to a close, Formula 1 is preparing to return to action at Zandvoort for the final Dutch Grand Prix. The weekend will feature the Sprint format, meaning drivers and teams will have limited time to prepare before the first competitive session. Friday's action will begin with the only free practice session at 12:30 local time (11:30 UK time), before Sprint Qualifying gets underway later in the afternoon at 16:30 (15:30 UK).

The Sprint will then kick off Saturday's programme at 12:00 local time (11:00 UK time), with qualifying for the Grand Prix following at 16:00 (15:00 UK). Attention will then turn to Sunday's main event, as Zandvoort hosts its final Formula 1 race. The Dutch Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 15:00 local time, corresponding to 14:00 in the UK.

- Tobia Elia

STAR DJ HEADLINES FINAL SOLD OUT DUTCH GP PARTY TO GIVE ZANDVOORTTHE FAREWELL IT DESERVES

Photo: Race Pictures

The final Dutch Grand Prix will also be celebrated with a big party at Zandvoort. The event will be headlined by the famous DJ Martin Garrix.

After the upcoming season, Formula 1 will say goodbye to Zandvoort and the Netherlands for the foreseeable future. To cap off the final event, Martin Garrix will headline the closing concert. The goal is to give the race the special farewell it deserves.

For Zandvoort's farewell, Saturday and Sunday had already sold out by April, with only the final tickets for Super Friday remaining, the organisers previously revealed.

Home favourite Max Verstappen previously addressed Zandvoort no longer being on the F1 calendar starting 2027. "Okay, we won’t have a Formula 1 Grand Prix there, but there are a lot of other series that still race there, and if you want to have a track day, the track is not going to disappear. So, for me, I’ll still have my fun driving around there, just not in Formula 1, but that’s okay.

"I mean, I just want to enjoy it with the fans. It’s incredibly impressive what they have done to bring it back, and I think, at the time when they hosted the first one, it was a great example for a lot of other Grands Prix as well of how to host and entertain. So, yeah, it’s a shame, but on the other hand, the track’s still there and I’m sure I will do more laps around there. So, it is what it is."

Photo: Race Pictures

Sprint weekend in Zandvoort with potential rain

The first Grand Prix after the summer break will also be a Sprint weekend. After just a single free practice session, Sprint Qualifying will take place on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the Sprint and Qualifying will be held before the Grand Prix on Sunday.

In addition, there is a chance of rain at Zandvoort this weekend, with temperatures expected to be lower than usual for the summer. On Friday and Saturday, there is a 40-45% chance of rain. On Sunday, fans might see the sun come out in the Netherlands. However, temperatures are expected to reach only 20 degrees Celsius, with a 21% chance of rain on the final day of the weekend.

- Kada Sarkozi

CHARLES LECLERC'S UNHEARD FOUL-MOUTHED RADIO MESSAGE AFTER LEWIS HAMILTON'S DUTCH GRAND PRIX CRASH

Lewis Hamilton crashed out of the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday just as the pit-stop window opened. And it had repercussions for his teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari at the banked turn three, where the drivers typically run close to the wall to carry maximum speed. The snap sent him into the barriers.

While it was a low-speed impact, it was enough to rip the front corner off the Ferrari and ended Hamilton’s afternoon. He had held onto seventh place after the start phase.

Leclerc had come into the pits moments before the accident. The safety car was deployed so the sister SF-25 could be recovered.

Charles Leclerc curses his luck after Lewis Hamilton crash at Zandvoort

Leclerc felt that the full-course caution had come at the worst possible time. His relatively early stop had demoted him to ninth place.

The Monegasque cleared George Russell’s Mercedes at the start of the race, promoting himself to fifth, and had been chasing the midfield outlier Isack Hadjar.

“No!” Leclerc bellowed in an unbroadcast radio message. “F—— hell! We are so f—— unlucky! Unbelievable!”

His competitors naturally took the opportunity under the safety car, but the damage wasn’t as bad as Leclerc likely feared. He only lost one position, falling behind Russell.

And following a virtual safety car phase later in the race, Leclerc caught the Mercedes driver by surprise. He dipped wheels in the gravel as he bullied his way back ahead at the penultimate corner, a move that will be investigated after the race.

It won’t cost Leclerc any points at the Dutch Grand Prix, though, because a collision with the other Silver Arrow of Kimi Antonelli on lap 53 ended his afternoon.

What Lewis Hamilton told Ferrari before race-ending accident

On the other side of the garage, Hamilton had been reporting tyre wear in the laps before he hit the wall.

He complained that the rears were ‘definitely wearing quite a lot’, which can induce oversteer. He’d also called for Ferrari to attempt an undercut on Russell because it was so difficult to pass on track.

Jacques Villeneuve noted that Hamilton was much more positive than Leclerc after qualifying. But the seven-time world champion looked disconsolate as he walked away from his stricken car on Sunday.

Hamilton spun multiple times during practice, which was perhaps a hint that the Ferrari was unstable. He also retired from last year’s United States GP due to a driver error.

- David Comerford

FERNANDO ALONSO AND GEORGE RUSSELL UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER STRANGE NEAR-MISS

What action will the stewards take after yet another strange Zandvoort incident?

Fernando Alonso and George Russell have been placed under investigation following a strange incident in the closing minutes of final practice at Zandvoort. 

As final practice entered its final minutes ahead of qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, Russell and Alonso suffered a near-miss at the pit entry. 

Alonso exited the final corner on a hot lap and appeared to attempt to receive a tow from Russell ahead, who remained on the racing line. 

However, as the Aston Martin driver almost drew alongside the Briton, Russell suddenly ventured across the circuit to try to enter the pit lane.

Unaware of Alonso behind, Russell suddenly took avoiding action and veered back to the left and remained on the circuit, whilst the two-time world champion found himself trapped and forced to enter the pit lane. 

He drove through the pit lane and immediately rejoined the circuit, quickly complaining that Russell failed to check his mirrors. 

The FIA stewards are investigating whether there was a breach of Article 37.5 and/or Article 33.4 of the sporting regulations, regarding Russell driving erratically at the pit entry.

- Nick Golding

DUTCH GP: LEWIS HAMILTON, GEORGE RUSSELL SURPRISED BY FERRARI PODIUM

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell of Mercedes. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands -- Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell said they were surprised by Ferrari's pace and Charles Leclerc's third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Leclerc started sixth before leapfrogging Sergio Pérez and Russell as McLaren's Lando Norris beat home favourite Max Verstappen by 22 seconds on Sunday.

Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz was knocked out in Q2 on Saturday, qualifying 11th, but finished the race in fifth, one tenth of a second behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

Hamilton qualified 12th but was later demoted to 15th with a grid penalty for impeding Pérez during the session.

Hamilton, who will join Ferrari next year, said after Sunday's race: "I was definitely surprised when I drove through and saw a Ferrari was on P3.

"If I just qualified like I should've qualified, I think I had the pace today to easily be in the top five. I don't know if we were faster than the Ferrari's but there were elements of our pace which were strong. But the car was not great compared to the last race. We had a lot more pace at the last race. Today we were closer to others."

Russell was equally as surprised by Ferrari's pace, with the 26-year-old admitting he was expecting to be comfortably ahead of them after qualifying and vying for a podium.

"I probably would've finished one, maybe max two places higher but we had no pace, I was just dropping like a stone," Russell said. "[It was] especially a surprise versus Ferrari -- we were expecting to be comfortably ahead of them. Charles was quicker, Carlos catching me, clearly, we got something wrong I think with the tyres. After the first couple of laps, I thought we were on course for a probably podium. I knew the overtaking was going to be difficult.

"I was really shocked at how fast McLaren were; Lando just looked so comfortable out there and it was super impressive to see and we've had six really strong races and then suddenly we've finished almost a minute behind the win today. So you don't lose all of that performance overnight. Yesterday we qualified fourth and clearly didn't get something right today."

- Niamh Lewis

DUTCH GP: FIERY LOGAN SARGEANT CRASH HALTS FINAL PRACTICE

Final practice for the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix was halted on Saturday after Logan Sargeant's Williams crashed heavily and caught fire, with the American jumping out of the wreckage unhurt.

"I'm okay," the driver reported over the radio after dipping a wheel on to the wet grass, losing control at turn three and spinning into the barriers, with the mangled car ending up in the middle of the track at the seaside Zandvoort circuit.

The 23-year-old, who has yet to score a point this year and has already lost his seat for 2025, was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks.

Marshals put out the flames but the damage looked significant, with qualifying scheduled for 1500 local and the Williams mechanics likely to struggle to get it rebuilt in time.

The red flags came out after 14 minutes, with the irrepressible but soggy Orange Army of Dutch fans in the grandstands still waiting for Red Bull's home hero and championship leader Max Verstappen to do a lap.

The damp session eventually restarted with a minute remaining of the hour scheduled and drivers leaving the pits in a queue for the chance of a timed lap through the spray on intermediate tyres.

Verstappen overtook a McLaren and a Mercedes in the pitlane, crossing the white line in his hurry to exit, and was shown a black-and-white warning flag for failing to follow the race director's instructions.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly claimed the fastest lap in the meaningless session, ahead of Haas's Kevin Magnussen and Sauber's Valtteri Bottas.

Logan Sargeant's car caught fire after a crash that ended the final practice on Saturday.
Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Williams said Sargeant's car, which was returned to the garage while repairs were made to the barriers, had had the same upgrade package as team mate Alex Albon.

"Hundreds of hours are spent on making things. The worst time is when you have just introduced some bits and you put it into the wall," Williams principal James Vowles told Sky television.

"Qualifying will be upon us pretty quickly but the car is in a pretty bad state.

"The first step of it is we will go through in detail what's been damaged. It looks pretty serious and that could result in a chassis change."

- Reuters 

ZANDVOORT | TRACK RECORDS

 

RECORD WNS AT ZANDVOORT

 

F1 TO TEST COCKPIT COOLING SYSTEM IN CARS AFTER EXTREME HEAT

Drivers will have a cooling system in the cockpit at the Dutch Grand Prix. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Formula One will test an active cooling system in the cockpits of cars for next month's Dutch Grand Prix in response to the extreme heat experienced by drivers in Qatar last year.

Some of those racing in Doha in October were on the verge of collapse by the end of the race, severely dehydrated and vomiting, while Williams driver Logan Sargeant felt too ill to continue.

The FIA said afterwards that it would act to protect drivers from such heat in the future.

A spokesman for the governing body said the FIA and all 10 teams had immediately begun research to improve venting to cool the drivers.

The technical regulations had been updated to allow a passive scoop on top of the cockpit for better ventilation with teams "strongly encouraged" to use it.

"Initial tests and in-situ proof of concept are planned to take place in Zandvoort and upcoming races," a spokesperson said. "If these tests prove successful, the FIA will mandate the installation of such an active cooling system in Formula One cars in the future when a heat hazard will have been declared."

Track temperatures in Hungary during first practice on Friday were pushing 60 degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit), although Saturday qualifying at the Hungaroring was considerably cooler, with light rain.

The FIA said it was monitoring the situation to ensure driver cooling passive scoops were installed, with teams allowed exceptional measures to cool down driver equipment and cockpits as much as possible.

- Reuters 

FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX 2023 | ZANDVOORT | RACE PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER 72 LAPS - 306.587 KM