Lando Norris won the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on 23 August, finishing 11.5 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Norris started from pole for McLaren and took his second successive race win. George Russell completed the podium for Mercedes after winning Saturday’s sprint.
Verstappen’s first-lap crash
The race was red-flagged on the opening lap when Max Verstappen crashed heavily into the concrete wall at Turn 14, ending his home race almost immediately. He was heard apologising to his team over the radio.
The restart brought more drama. Oliver Bearman’s car suffered an engine failure during the restart sequence, and Gabriel Bortoleto spun but was able to continue.
How Norris won
Norris lost the lead to Antonelli at the restart and at first could not put the Mercedes under pressure. The race turned at the pit stops. McLaren kept Norris out for seven laps longer than Antonelli, then fitted the hard tyre, and his pace on fresher rubber was much stronger.
He rejoined about five seconds behind, closed the gap, and took the lead by going round the outside while Antonelli was fighting Lewis Hamilton. A late Virtual Safety Car shuffled the field again, but Norris stayed in front and was 11.5 seconds clear by the flag. Hamilton finished fourth.
Ferrari’s strategy was again under scrutiny, with Lewis Hamilton asking on the radio whether the team was using him as a test case for its pit-stop calls.
Podium
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes |
What it means for the championship
Antonelli kept the drivers’ championship lead with second place, while Norris’s back-to-back wins made him the form driver. Mercedes extended their lead in the constructors’ championship to 87 points over Ferrari.
Updated 7 October 2026. Sources: PlanetF1 and Sky Sports race reports.
