Zandvoort, Netherlands, August 31, 2025: Oscar Piastri took a vital victory at the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, extending his World Championship lead to 34 points after McLaren team-mate and chief rival Lando Norris was forced to retire with a power unit failure while running in second place.

Home favourite Max Verstappen finished runner-up for Red Bull, while Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar celebrated his first-ever Formula 1 podium with a brilliant drive to third place at Zandvoort.

Piastri seizes control at the start

From pole position, Piastri made a clean getaway to lead into Turn 1. Behind him, Verstappen, starting on Soft tyres, attacked Norris in a daring move through Turn 2, briefly snatching second. However, once Norris’s Medium tyres reached their peak, the Briton powered back past Verstappen on lap 9 with a sweeping move around the outside at Tarzan corner.

First drama: Hamilton crashes, Safety Car deployed

The opening Safety Car was triggered on lap 23 when Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton lost control on the dampening track and slid into the barriers at Turn 3. This incident prompted a flurry of pit stops, with McLaren stacking Piastri and Norris for Hard tyres while Verstappen gambled on Mediums for the restart.

When racing resumed, Piastri managed the pace perfectly, resisting pressure from his team-mate and Verstappen.

Chaos in the midfield: Antonelli and Leclerc collide

On lap 53, the race took another dramatic turn when Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli made an ambitious move on Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari into Turn 3. Understeer sent the Italian into Leclerc, eliminating the Monegasque and breaking his own suspension. Antonelli’s retirement brought out the Safety Car once more, reshuffling pit strategies.

Verstappen and Hadjar switched to Soft tyres, while McLaren endured slow double-stacked stops that left both Piastri and Norris vulnerable.

Norris heartbreak, Hadjar joy

With the restart on lap 58, Verstappen launched an immediate attack but couldn’t find a way past the McLarens. Piastri then pulled clear, opening a small but decisive gap.

However, with just seven laps to go, disaster struck Norris as his McLaren ground to a halt with an apparent power unit failure. The Briton’s retirement not only handed Verstappen second place but also left Piastri clear at the front.

Despite a final late-race Safety Car, Piastri controlled the restart to secure his third victory of the season, with Verstappen second and Hadjar claiming a career-first F1 podium to the delight of the Zandvoort crowd.

Final classification – 2025 Dutch Grand Prix (Top 10)

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:38:29.849
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.271s
3. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +3.233s
4. George Russell (Mercedes) +5.654s
5. Alexander Albon (Williams) +6.327s
6. Oliver Bearman (Haas) +9.044s
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +9.497s
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +11.709s
9. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +13.597s
10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +14.063s

Championship picture

With this victory, Piastri now leads the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship by 34 points over Norris, as McLaren continue to set the pace in both qualifying and race trim. Verstappen’s podium keeps his slim title hopes alive, while Hadjar’s third place marks a major breakthrough for both the Racing Bulls and the French rookie’s burgeoning career.

As the season heads into its next rounds, the Dutch Grand Prix result underlines Piastri’s growing maturity and McLaren’s dominance—though reliability questions after Norris’s failure could still shape the battle ahead.