What the teams said – Race day in the Netherlands

Lando Norris secured a brilliant victory at the final Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, reigniting his championship charge. After struggling with pace in the first stint, Norris found speed on the Hard tyres, executing a decisive move on Kimi Antonelli to take the lead. Despite late pressure and a Virtual Safety Car, he pulled away to win by 11 seconds. Teammate Oscar Piastri finished sixth, hampered by a slow pit stop and a lack of pace in the second stint. Mercedes achieved a double podium with Antonelli in second and George Russell in third. Antonelli showed strong pace early but could not match Norris, while Russell managed his race expertly to hold off a charging Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc completed the top five for the Italian team, though Ferrari felt their qualifying pace held them back. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had a disastrous final home race, crashing out on the opening lap following contact with Hamilton and Liam Lawson. Lawson salvaged points with a seventh-place finish. Meanwhile, Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg finished eighth after a chaotic start, and Fernando Alonso secured ninth for Aston Martin with a clever one-stop strategy. Pierre Gasly rounded out the points in tenth for Alpine. The race was marked by unpredictable strategic shifts due to rain and high tyre degradation, leading to a complex and thrilling afternoon in Zandvoort.