F1 Dutch Grand Prix Race Review
- Matt Hylen
- 22 hours ago
- 11 min read
Round 15 in Zandvoort is officially in the books, and boy, was it a good one. Drama and chaos was the name of the game this weekend, as we saw shocking crashes, unexpected DNFs, and our 8th different driver and 6th different team secure a podium. As Zandvoort says its goodbye to F1, it could not have sent the message in a better way.
Also, check out my bold predictions article at the bottom of this article to see how I fared! In all honesty, considering the takes I had, it was not too bad!
Now, before we recap how every team did this past weekend, as always, a few things to mention:
Formula One has two main championship competitions. The first of the two Championships is the Drivers' Championship, which is a competition based on the drivers' individual performance. On a non-Sprint style weekend, the drivers who finish in the top 10 in each race will score points (the higher you place, the more points you get). These points are added up, and whichever driver finishes with the most points at the end of the season will win the Drivers' Championship.
The next is the Constructors' Championship, a competition between the teams. The number of points the drivers within a team get each race is combined, creating the total points for the team (e.g., Lando Norris has scored 275 points and Oscar Piastri has scored 309 points, giving the McLaren team 584 points in the Constructors' Championship). The team whose drivers accumulate the most points combined for their team will win the Constructors' Championship.
Note, 21 drivers will be listed within the Drivers' Championship Standings, as Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan at Alpine.
Now, here is a look at the standings for both Championships:
Drivers' Championship Standings:
Oscar Piastri 309 points
Lando Norris 275 points
Max Verstappen 205 points
George Russell 184 points
Charles Leclerc 151 points
Lewis Hamilton 109 points
Andrea Kimi Antonelli 64 points
Alexander Albon 64 points
Nico Hülkenberg 37 points
Isack Hadjar 37 points
Lance Stroll 32 points
Fernando Alonso 30 points
Esteban Ocon 28 points
Pierre Gasly 20 points
Liam Lawson 20 points
Oliver Bearman 16 points
Carlos Sainz 16 points
Gabriel Bortoleto 14 points
Yuki Tsunoda 12 points
Franco Colapinto 0 points
Jack Doohan 0 points
Constructors' Championship Standings:
McLaren 584 points
Ferrari 260 points
Mercedes 248 points
Red Bull 214 points
Williams 80 points
Aston Martin 62 points
VCARB 60 points
Kick Sauber 51 points
Haas 44 points
Alpine 20 points
Standings were found at F1.com.
One more thing!! I am implementing a new feature in my reviews! I am adding a weekend grade for every team based on whether or not they met, did not meet, or exceeded expectations going into the weekend. Both the teams' results in the race AND qualifying were taken into account when I formed these grades. Grades are on a scale from A+ to F.
Alpine
Weekend Grade: C+
Alpine were hot and cold this past weekend, but ultimately were no better or worse than they have been all year. Pierre Gasly qualified 14th and finished 17th, while Franco Colapinto qualified 16th and finished 11th.
As the solidified slowest car on the grid, Alpine did not give either driver much to work with in this race. Neither Gasly nor Colapinto could put together a good qualifying pace, and were mediocre at best in terms of race pace.
In terms of strategy, Alpine were a mixed bag. Colapinto was able to keep himself on the track, which ended up in him taking advantage of the safety cars and moving himself up all the way to 11th. Gasly, on the other hand, was told to stay out on hard tires that were completely dead, thus dropping him all the way to last amongst the finishers.
The only real positive aspect of the weekend for Alpine was Colapinto keeping things on track. He made zero mistakes, while even putting together a couple of decent lap times in the race. He also defended nicely against some stiff competitors.
Overall, Alpine are by far and away the worst team in the sport, which I doubt changes in 2025.
Aston Martin
Weekend Grade: B-
Aston Martin saved themselves from embarrassment this weekend, producing a good haul of points amidst a double points finish. Lance Stroll qualified 20th (started 19th) and finished 7th, while Fernando Alonso qualified 10th and finished 8th.
Aston Martin's pace has significantly improved as of late. Though the start of the weekend went as poorly as it could have gone (two Stroll crashes and a disappointing qualifying from Alonso), they finished strong and scored double points. They have scored points in six of the last seven races now, including double-digit points in the past two.
This is a great sign for a team whose expectation was to compete in the midfield. They have brought a non-existent pace to a competitive pace that could elevate at any time. The craziest part is that after this race, Stroll leads Alonso in the Drivers' Championship; a phrase that I myself did not see myself writing.
I have to give credit where credit is due, and though it was not a perfect weekend, Aston Martin got it right where it counted. The strategy was solid, Alonso and Stroll drove well in the race, and the team prevented themselves from being overtaken by their rivals behind them.
Ferrari
Weekend Grade: F
Cover your eyes, Ferrari fans...
Zandvoort was nothing short of a disastrous race for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc qualified 6th and Lewis Hamilton qualified 7th, but neither driver finished the race after crashing out.
Not much to say for Ferrari other than the fact that the weekend could not have gone much worse. They got outqualified by a VCARB, the qualifying pace was nothing special (nearly seven-tenths of a second off McLaren's pace and four-tenths of a second off Verstappen's), and both endured a crash on the same turn that ended their race. Granted, Leclerc's crash was not his fault whatsoever, but Hamilton's was pretty bad. Losing grip on the corner he did, in the way he did, and with only a lap before he was supposed to pit, is just not acceptable. Not only that, but up until both of their crashes, neither Leclerc nor Hamilton could get by the cars in front, which included Isack Hadjar's VCARB.
Ferrari were just lucky Kimi Antonelli did not score points, or else they would be in a much deeper hole than they are currently. With that said, Monza is next weekend, so a bounce back is imminent.
Haas
Weekend Grade: B
Haas' elite race strategy struck again this weekend, as they took full advantage of every opportunity given to them. Esteban Ocon qualified 18th and finished 10th, while Ollie Bearman qualified 19th (started from the pit lane after a powertrain replacement) and finished 6th.
Haas was excellent this race, and it was not necessarily because of their race pace. Rather, it was the decisions they made along the way. All their risks paid off, with both safety cars coming at the best possible time. Bearman and Ocon also drove very confidently, defending nicely while also keeping pace with the cars ahead.
However, the qualifying pace was brutally slow. Neither Ocon nor Bearman could find anything once again, which has been the biggest concern for the team all year. The self-sabotage in qualifying is costing them dearly, which will come back to bite them in the standings.
This sort of weekend has been the common result for Haas: stink it up in qualifying, then leave every right decision and ability for the race. It makes you wonder where they would be if the car could qualify well.
With that said, Haas leaves Zandvoort with a lot of promise in addition to a career day from Bearman. For Bearman, starting from the pit lane to finishing in the highest place in his career is nothing short of impressive. The team could have lost major ground in the Constructors' Championship this weekend, making it all the more crucial that Haas' decision-making was on point. Great way to finish the weekend strong for the entire team.
Kick Sauber
Weekend Grade: D+
Sauber were pretty anonymous this weekend. Gabriel Bortoleto qualified 13th and finished 15th, while Nico Hulkenberg qualified 17th and finished 14th.
This is definitely a disappointing weekend for Sauber, especially with their rivals (Aston Martin, VCARB, and Haas) doing as well as they did. Their pace got them nowhere near the top ten in qualifying or the race.
Though both drivers drove a clean race, Sauber's inability to take advantage of safety cars or form a plan B to undercut their competitors was what cost them this past weekend. They were stuck in a DRS train for basically the entire race. I felt as though they needed to try something bold, especially since they had nothing to really lose anyway. Nevertheless, Sauber opted for survival rather than risk, which allowed VCARB to overtake them in the standings.
McLaren
Weekend Grade: A-
I am in shock... total shock, by what just went down for McLaren this past weekend.
Bittersweet seems like the perfect way to sum up McLaren's weekend in Zandvoort. Oscar Piastri qualified on pole and won the race, while Lando Norris qualified 2nd but did not finish the race due to an engine failure.
To no one's surprise, McLaren were dominant this past weekend. Norris topped every practice session, while Piastri completed one of the rarest feats in the sport, the grand slam. For those unfamiliar, a grand slam in F1 is a term used when a driver qualifies on pole, leads every lap of the race, records the fastest lap time in the race, and wins the race.
With that said, the biggest blow has to be Norris' DNF. In what was going to be a close fight to the very end, especially after the second safety car, Norris' DNF instead shook up the entire outlook of the rest of the season. Instead of being down two or 16 points (depending on if he finished in 1st or 2nd), Norris is now down a shocking 34 points, putting his championship chances down significantly.
You gotta feel for Lando. For a driver who has been scrutinized all season long, to be dealt this sort of blow in the Drivers' Championship that was completely and utterly out of his control, is absolutely gutting. Granted, he still has nine races, but considering how mentally sound and mistake-proof Piastri has been this year, Norris may need a miracle on top of a string of the best driving performances he has ever done.
Mercedes
Weekend Grade: B-
Mercedes had solid pace this weekend, but unfortunately could not make the most of it. George Russell qualified 5th and finished 4th, while Kimi Antonelli qualified 11th and finished 16th.
If it were't for Antonelli's 15 seconds worth of penalties (10 seconds for crashing into Leclerc and 5 seconds for speeding in the pit lane) and Russell's damage due to Leclerc's dive bomb on him going into the turn 11 and 12 chicane, Mercedes could have come away with a huge chunk of points that would have cut significantly into the deficit behind Ferrari in the standings.
Do I think Leclerc deserved a penalty? Yes, but it was not blatant enough for me to be upset that he didn't. What I am concerned with is Antonelli's form. Kimi made two inexcusable mistakes on Sunday that could cost Mercedes down the line in the Championship. Add this, on top of the fact that he has only scored one point since Canada five races ago, and it is not a good look for the rookie.
If Mercedes wants to regain 2nd in the Constructors', it needs to start with Kimi. Russell continues to perform at a high level no matter what obstacles he faces, so he is not who I am worried about if I am Mercedes. Mercedes needs to find a way to get Antonelli back on track, because the flashes of brilliance he has shown this season are too few and far between.
With that said, the flashes are still there, and he is only 19, so the room for growth is massive for a driver like Antonelli. He is going to be an elite, championship-level driver someday, that I have faith in, but as of right now, what he is giving needs to improve.
VCARB
Weekend Grade: A+
What a weekend for VCARB!
From start to finish, VCARB easily surpassed all expectations as they put forth a podium-worthy car. Liam Lawson qualified 8th and finished 12th, while Isack Hadjar qualified 4th and finished 3rd.
First and foremost, Isack Hadjar is legit. The way he drove this weekend while keeping a level head was just brilliant. I mean, he qualified in the top four in a VCARB!! Not only that, but he fended off Ferraris and Mercedes cars all race long to maintain his position. He attacked the safety car restarts head-on and never really wavered in terms of mistakes. It was a perfect weekend for Hadjar, who is by far and away the rookie of the year.
As for the team as a whole, the car's pace was rapid in every facet. Lawson did get unlucky in his crash with Sainz that ruined his chance at points, but he still showed very solid pace in every session. The strategy was also on point for VCARB, as they were able to prevent any undercut on Hadjar and helped Lawson climb all the way from a lap down on everyone to 12th. Overall, it was a spectacular weekend for VCARB with no real negatives to take into Monza this coming weekend.
Red Bull
Weekend Grade: B
Red Bull were better this weekend than they have been as of late, which is a positive sign. Yuki Tsunoda qualified 12th and finished 9th, while Max Verstappen qualified 3rd and finished 2nd.
Both Verstappen and Tsunoda did all they could this weekend. Socring double points is rare for this team due to the lack of pace the car has on a weekly basis, but both Max and Yuki did well to stay competitive and take advantage of opportunities.
I also thought we finally saw a glimmer of hope from Tsunoda this weekend. As we all know, Tsunoda is on the hot seat. Not only is Red Bull junior driver and young sensation Arvid Limblad likely to get a seat next year at VCARB, but Isack Hadjar has proven that he can drive at an elite level if he is given the car. Thus, Hadjar might be in contention for Tsunoda's seat as we stand currently. So, while I do hope they keep Yuki for 2026, it is not a given.
With that in mind, Yuki needs to step up his performance regardless of how difficult the 2nd Red Bull seat is to drive, which I think he did at Zandvoort. He drove mistake-free and made some nice overtakes that ended up putting him in a points-scoring position come race end. Zandvoort needs to be the start of a massive turnaround for Tsunoda if he wants to keep his seat next year.
Williams
Weekend Grade: B
Williams had a roller coaster of a weekend in Zandvoort. Carlos Sainz qualified 9th and finished 13th, while Alex Albon qualified 15th and finished 5th.
Albon did amazingly to gain ten total positions (including five on Lap 1), but overall, I felt like Williams got robbed of coming back with more. What I mean by that is Sainz should not have received a penalty for his collision with Lawson. That should have been deemed at most a racing incident. Sainz had every right to go for the move on Lawson, for the space was clearly there. It was mind-boggling that the FIA deemed Sainz at fault when really no one was at fault.
Other than that, Williams did an extremely good job of rebounding from their lackluster qualifying and finishing the weekend strong when it mattered most. It was good to see a Q3 appearance from Sainz, while Albon showed once again that he is at the top of his game. A lot to build off of for Williams coming into a track they drive well at in Monza.
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Until next time!
-Matt Hylen