The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort was a brutal, chaotic, and unforgettable affair that perfectly captured the contradictions of the 2025 season. Ferrari imploded, Norris saw his title campaign take a massive hit, and Oscar Piastri walked away with his first career grand slam.
McLaren’s Rise Foreshadowed Early
The warning signs for McLaren’s dominance were already clear across the weekend. In FP1, their raw pace was obvious, with rivals admitting “Aston Martin’s pace is ridiculous” but McLaren quietly establishing themselves as the team to beat. By FP2, the stewards had already been busy with a €5,000 fine handed to McLaren after Oscar Piastri’s pit lane infringement during the red flag period, an early sign of how chaotic stewarding would become throughout the weekend. FP3 confirmed the picture at the front: Lando Norris set the fastest lap, but Piastri remained locked in step, the pair looking untouchable.
Qualifying reinforced that balance of power. Piastri seized pole, setting up the possibility of a perfect weekend, while Norris had to settle for playing catch-up from the very start. It was exactly that split, Norris on the back foot, Piastri executing flawlessly, that defined Sunday’s result.
Ferrari Collapse
Ferrari’s weekend began with drama and ended in disaster. Their drivers were already showing strain in practice, with Leclerc suffering repeated interruptions and Hamilton struggling to extract confidence from the car. FP3 even saw George Russell nearly collide with Fernando Alonso at pit entry, forcing Alonso to abort his lap, an incident that left Hamilton in particular wary about traffic and positioning.
Those cracks widened in the race. Hamilton crashed into the barrier and brought out a Safety Car, killing Leclerc’s strategy. His apology over the radio, “I’m so sorry, guys”, only underlined the frustration. He had been on the verge of forcing an undercut, only for it to blow up in Ferrari’s face.
The crash summed up Hamilton’s season. After breaking Ivan Capelli’s record with 15 Ferrari starts and no podiums, he was also handed a five-place grid penalty and two penalty points for failing to slow sufficiently under double yellows during the reconnaissance lap. That ended his record streak of 51 consecutive races without a penalty point.
Leclerc’s race ended soon after when Kimi Antonelli understeered into him at Turn 3. The FIA ruled Antonelli fully at fault, awarding him a 10-second penalty and two penalty points. The uniqueness of Zandvoort’s banking amplified the crash, with Leclerc’s right-rear bursting on impact and ending his race on the spot. The image of Leclerc sitting on the dunes, phone in hand, embodied Ferrari’s year, reflective, frustrated, and resigned.
Norris Heartbreak
Norris’s trajectory mirrored his weekend arc. In qualifying, Sky broadcast hailed him as getting the better start, only for reality to show he lost places. In the race, he briefly climbed back past Verstappen with a clean, textbook overtake. Yet an engine failure consigned him to the dunes. The moment was devastating not just for Sunday, but for his title campaign. With nine races left, ignoring sprints, Norris now needs seven wins to stay alive against teammate Piastri.
The image of Norris slumped on the hillside next to Leclerc was instantly meme-worthy, but the championship implications were deadly serious.
Piastri’s Grand Slam
Piastri’s pole position in qualifying was the platform for perfection. He controlled the race from start to finish, set fastest lap, and never put a wheel wrong. While Norris’s failure took up much of the post-race narrative, Piastri’s composure ensured he claimed his first career grand slam. Even without Norris’s DNF, the signs from FP3 and qualifying suggested Piastri had the upper hand this weekend.
Verstappen and Hadjar
Verstappen’s weekend was full of drama. He nearly lost it at Turn 3 on Lap 1 but pulled off an astonishing save, holding onto P2 in front of his home fans. Later, he chose not to fight Norris too hard, saving tires and playing the long game.
Hadjar, meanwhile, built on his steady practice and qualifying pace to deliver a sensational P3. His podium was historic, the 219th driver to stand on a Formula 1 podium and the youngest Frenchman ever to do so. He broke his trophy, received a congratulatory text from Alain Prost, and instantly became the face of the weekend’s memes.
Chaos Behind
From Bearman starting from the pitlane and finishing P6, to Stroll vaulting from last on the grid to P7, the midfield scrambled through chaos, safety cars, and opportunistic strategies. Alpine bungled team orders again, Colapinto losing out to Gasly’s stubborn defense. Haas, in contrast, executed perfectly to deliver double points.
Championship Picture
At the sharp end, little changed: Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen remain 1–2–3 in the Drivers’ standings, while McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes hold the Constructors’ top three. But the midfield shuffle continues to surprise, with Antonelli and Albon now level on points, a stat unthinkable just a year ago.
Final Word
When viewed across the weekend, the Dutch GP tells a complete story: McLaren looked strongest from FP1 onward, Ferrari’s fragility worsened with every session, Verstappen carried Red Bull at home, and Hadjar confirmed his raw talent on the big stage. By Sunday, those threads came together in a race that left Piastri perfect, Norris heartbroken, Ferrari humiliated, and a rookie immortalized.