Lando Norris has won the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix after a tense afternoon at Zandvoort, beating Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as Mercedes secured a double podium. For Max Verstappen, his final Dutch Grand Prix lasted less than a lap.
The four-time World Champion lost control of his Red Bull and crashed heavily into the barriers on the opening lap, bringing out an immediate red flag and ending his final appearance in front of his home crowd almost as soon as it had begun.
Norris, meanwhile, had to win the race twice. After losing the lead to Antonelli at the restart, the McLaren driver worked his way back into contention, passed the Mercedes in the closing stages and ultimately opened an 11-second advantage on his way to victory.
Verstappen’s Final Dutch GP Ends on Lap One
Conditions were far from straightforward before the start. Air temperature stood at 17°C, with the track at 30°C and a 60% chance of rain hanging over Zandvoort. Strong winds added another variable, while several sections of the circuit remained damp during the formation lap.
When the lights went out, pole-sitter Norris held the lead into Turn 1. Behind him, Charles Leclerc made an aggressive start and moved past Oscar Piastri into fourth.
Then came the moment nobody in the grandstands wanted to see. Towards the end of the opening lap, Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull and hit the barriers heavily. The car sustained significant damage and the Dutchman was immediately out of the race. Verstappen climbed out of the car and was reported to be unhurt, but his final Dutch Grand Prix was over.
The race was red-flagged while the damaged Red Bull and debris were cleared from the circuit.
Another Problem Before the Restart
The interruption produced another retirement before racing had even resumed. Oliver Bearman suffered a technical problem during the formation lap and was forced to stop his car. That prompted an additional formation lap, leaving the field to prepare for another standing start.
With 66 laps remaining, the lights went out for a second time. This time, Antonelli attacked. The Mercedes driver fought Norris into the opening corner and emerged with the lead, while Piastri moved past Russell into third.
Antonelli immediately began building a small cushion. By lap 10, the gap to Norris had grown to 1.3 seconds, with Piastri already around four seconds further back. The fight for victory was beginning to separate itself from the rest of the field.
Antonelli Controls the Opening Stint
Antonelli looked increasingly comfortable at the front. The Italian set a 1:16.681 on lap seven and continued to manage Norris behind him. By lap 20, the gap between the pair had grown to approximately two seconds. Leclerc, meanwhile, sat more than eight seconds behind Norris.
The first major pit-stop phase began shortly afterwards. Leclerc, Norris and Antonelli all stopped on lap 21, temporarily handing the lead to Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli returned to the circuit around eight seconds behind Hamilton and immediately began reducing the gap. Hamilton eventually stopped on lap 25 and rejoined behind Leclerc, returning the effective lead to Antonelli.
Further back, Liam Lawson was putting together one of the stronger recovery drives of the afternoon, passing Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz in successive laps to climb through the order.
Ferrari Turns Up the Pressure
As the race moved beyond its halfway point, Ferrari began to make progress. Leclerc attacked Norris on lap 34, taking the inside line before the corner and completing the move for fourth. One lap later, Hamilton passed Piastri to move into fifth.
At the front, however, Antonelli remained in control. Norris gradually began to respond. The gap fell to 0.7 seconds by lap 40, while Leclerc had also closed to within a second of Russell. Mercedes reacted first. Antonelli stopped on lap 41, followed shortly afterwards by Russell. The move temporarily handed Norris the lead and dropped Antonelli back behind Hamilton.
Ferrari then faced its own strategic tension.
Hamilton reported that he was faster than Leclerc and had stronger tyres, asking the team to consider swapping the cars. Instead, Ferrari called Leclerc into the pits. The decision frustrated both sides of the garage. Leclerc reacted angrily to the stop, while Hamilton later complained that the team had already lost valuable time.
Norris Hunts Antonelli Down
Norris made his next stop on lap 47, leaving Hamilton temporarily at the head of the race.
But the decisive phase was approaching.
By lap 51, Antonelli had reduced Hamilton’s advantage to around 1.5 seconds despite continuing to report a lack of grip. Norris was now directly behind the Mercedes and had closed to within half a second.
Antonelli resisted initially.
For an entire lap, he positioned his Mercedes precisely enough to keep the McLaren behind. Norris remained attached to the rear wing and waited. At Turn 1 on the following lap, he made his move.
Norris attacked around the outside and completed the pass to take second. Hamilton was next. The McLaren quickly caught and passed the Ferrari to reclaim the race lead. Antonelli followed him through shortly afterwards, moving back into second. What had been a tightly balanced fight suddenly belonged to Norris.
Virtual Safety Car Resets the Strategy
Almost immediately after the lead changed hands, Esteban Ocon retired with a technical problem and triggered a Virtual Safety Car. Hamilton was clearly unhappy with Ferrari’s response, asking over the radio when the team intended to pit him. Ferrari eventually brought both Hamilton and Leclerc in. Antonelli and Piastri also stopped during the neutralisation, while Russell briefly moved into second as the strategies reshuffled.
Racing resumed on lap 57. Norris did not need another invitation. With clear air ahead, the McLaren driver began stretching his advantage. By lap 67, he had built a gap of around 11 seconds to Antonelli.
The fight for victory was effectively over. The fight for the final podium position was not.
Russell Holds Off Hamilton for Third
Russell found himself under intense pressure from Hamilton in the closing stages. The Ferrari remained within roughly half a second of the Mercedes for several laps, but Zandvoort’s narrow layout gave Hamilton few realistic opportunities to make the move.
On lap 69, he finally attacked into Turn 1. Russell covered the inside and held his position. One final interruption arrived on lap 70 when contact between Sainz and Alex Albon left debris on the circuit and triggered another Virtual Safety Car. Racing resumed shortly afterwards, giving Hamilton another opportunity, but Russell refused to give up the final podium place. Up front, nobody could touch Norris.
Norris Wins the Final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort
Lando Norris crossed the line to win the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, completing a race that required him to recover from losing the lead at the restart and eventually break Antonelli’s resistance on track. Antonelli finished second after spending much of the afternoon at the front, while Russell completed the podium to give Mercedes a 2-3 finish.
Hamilton narrowly missed out in fourth after his late pursuit of Russell. But Zandvoort’s final Formula 1 race will also be remembered for the moment that arrived before the race had properly settled.
Verstappen’s final Dutch Grand Prix ended against the barriers on the opening lap. Norris’ ended on the top step of the podium.
