Formula One Gradebook: Dutch Grand Prix
- Maham Mir
- 6 minutes ago
- 12 min read
For the first race after the summer break, Formula One returned for the final time to Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix. Rejoining the calendar in 2021, the track has seen its hometown hero Max Verstappen be successful on many occasions and has been the stage for championship defining moments.
McLaren’s Lando Norris achieved back-to-back wins and became the third multiple-race winner of 2026 after a commanding performance at the front. Having qualified on pole, and still the only non-Mercedes driver to qualify on pole for a Grand Prix, Norris had to fight against the other front-runners to cross the line ahead of the rest of the field.
Elsewhere on the grid, Verstappen’s final home race came to a premature end after a significant crash from which he emerged unhurt. Additionally, the battle in the midfield continues to get closer as Audi joined Racing Bulls and Alpine in the battle for points this weekend. Here’s how all 22 drivers performed on race day:
Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli: A
The championship leader had an uncharacteristic weekend where it seemed as though he struggled with the pace across the three days of running. After a less than ideal sprint and qualifying, Antonelli lined up in third in the hopes of making a step forward during the race. Although this track is not known for its overtaking opportunities, the Italian driver made crucial overtakes on the first and second restarts to take the lead of the race.
However, despite being ahead of the rest of the field, the championship leader failed to maintain his position out-front, even with a last-minute pit-stop under Virtual Safety Car (VSC) conditions. After a swap decision was announced by the Mercedes pit-wall, with Antonelli becoming the lead car, he extended his championship lead to 59 points over second-placed Russell.
George Russell: A-
Fresh off victory in Saturday’s sprint race, the British driver lined up on the front row next to the reigning world champion however was unable to make an impression with his pace and was overtaken by his teammate. On the second restart, Russell lost out on more positions and was only able to gain them back in the pit-lane due to slow stops elsewhere.
Throughout the race, Russell seemed to lack pace compared to the other front-runners and was only in the battle for the podium instead of the win. In the closing stages of the race, Russell was told to swap positions with his teammate who was on new tyres behind which was quickly followed. Eventually, he crossed the line in third, completed the podium and moved into second in the championship standings.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc: B+
On a weekend where Ferrari were heralded to be the favourites, Leclerc enjoyed demonstrating the quick pace of the Ferrari however that was the only highlight of his weekend. After a difficult qualifying where sixth was the best that he could do, the Monégasque driver’s opening stint gave hope that he would finish on the podium.
However, with his teammate’s pace increasing behind, it wasn’t long before Leclerc had been overtaken and his chances of a podium fast slipped away. After being brought in under VSC conditions and despite a complicated sequence of radio messages, the final laps of the race saw an intense battle between Leclerc and his teammate. Eventually, he crossed the line behind his teammate in fourth place. In the Drivers’ standings, the Monégasque driver dropped to fifth.
Lewis Hamilton: B
Like Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton demonstrated considerable pace however with little to show for it after an opening lap incident, the seven-time world champion had everything to do ahead of him. In an attempt to try something different, Hamilton was left out for an extended first stint and inherited the lead.
After his pit-stop, with significantly fresher tyres than the other front-runners, Hamilton made quick work of making it back through the rest of the field. Like his teammate, Hamilton was also brought in under VSC conditions however strained communication meant that he potentially lost out on the opportunity to chase down Russell ahead.
McLaren
Lando Norris: A+
There can be no doubt that the race winner was on a different level in Sunday’s Grand Prix. With this back-to-back win, the defending world champion has become the only driver so far in 2026 to have a 100% pole-to-win ratio and the third multiple-race winner of 2026 as well.
Norris had a clean getaway for the first start but lost position upon the restart.
Despite the dropped position on the restart, Norris had considerable pace and after coming in for his first pit-stop, was able to hunt down Antonelli.
After two masterclass passes on Antonelli and Hamilton, the Briton retook the lead of the race and maintained his position even when drivers on fresher tyres behind attempted to hunt him down after the VSC.
Oscar Piastri: B
While Norris flourished in Zandvoort, Piastri struggled in comparison. Despite a promising opening stint with a start position of fourth, including an important move on Russell for podium consideration, the Australian’s hard work was undone due to a slow pit-stop. On a track where overtaking is known to be difficult, there was little hope for Piastri after he emerged behind the Mercedes he had battled to get ahead of.
His woes further continued as he struggled to keep the fast-paced Ferraris behind. In quick succession, the McLaren driver found that his lack of grip on his tyres meant he was unable to defend and dropped down the order to sixth where he eventually finished the race.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen: A-
Hometown hero Verstappen was no doubt hoping to write another historic chapter in the books for his final home Grand Prix, especially with the contract extension announcement, however it was not meant to be. Red Bull’s distinct lack of pace so far this season meant that a seventh placed start was the best he could have hoped for.
The former Dutch Grand Prix winner’s race had a premature finish ahead of the end of the first lap when damp conditions caught him out and he was caught in a significant crash. Verstappen thankfully emerged unhurt and confirmed post-race that his RB22 had “disappointing pace” which ultimately led to “a disappointing end to the weekend”.
Liam Lawson: A
Stepping in for the injured Isack Hadjar at the senior Red Bull team for the first time since his demotion 18 months ago, Liam Lawson had the qualifying expected of him as he lined up eighth and within touching distance of Verstappen’s time. On both starts, Lawson was able to keep his car on-track and out of trouble.
With a significant pace deficit to the cars ahead, Lawson experienced in his own words “a pretty lonely race”. In the closing stages of the race, the stand-in driver was given a 10-second time penalty however was still able to score points. Having crossed the line in seventh, Lawson was able to do what he could not 18 months prior and scored points for the senior team.
Haas
Ollie Bearman: C-
Haas’ difficult season continued after the summer break with Bearman failing to progress past Q1; the Briton was set to start the race in 20th. Having emerged from the initial start without any issues, the problems occurred on the second restart where he was forced to pull over to the side.
Due to a technical issue, Bearman’s race was cut short for his fourth DNF of the season. With 18 points to his name so far this season, Bearman’s points-less streak has continued since the Montreal Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon: C-
On the other side of the Haas garage, things were equally as difficult with Esteban Ocon starting in 15th however without the pace to challenge any of the cars ahead. Initially, the French driver came under investigation for a potential yellow flag infringement however he was soon after cleared and did not receive a penalty.
For a large majority of the race, Ocon was unable to do much to change his position, even with the pit-stops around him and he seemed set for another disappointing finish.
However, in the closing stages of the race, a mechanical issue reportedly connected to his PU meant that the French driver was unable to complete the race. Ocon’s DNF meant that Hass suffered their first double-DNF of the season so far.
Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad: B
In his first and only Dutch Grand Prix, 2026’s only rookie driver demonstrated excellent skills by making yet another Q3 appearance and starting 10th. Although the pace of the VCARB03 was certainly enough to keep the team within points contention, an early drive-through penalty meant that the young British driver’s race was subsequently derailed.
With a task on his hands to bring himself back into the top 10, Lindblad got involved in many midfield battles however it wasn’t enough on this occasion. Ultimately, crossing the line in 12th was all that could be managed for Lindblad’s fourth points-less finish of the season. Although the team ultimately walked away with zero points this weekend, they maintained their position as best of the rest in the Drivers’ standings.
Yuki Tsunoda: B+
Stepping in for Lawson who moved to the senior team for the weekend, Yuki Tsunoda had his first outing in an F1 car since the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Although he failed to make the cut-off for Q3, he was well-poised in twelfth to capitalise on any opportunities ahead.
With the strategy team opting for an alternative three-stop strategy, Tsunoda’s pace ultimately had no match for the cars around him. In the end, he finished on the fringes of points in 11th. Although rumours suggested he seemed set on a move to IndyCar, there is no telling what this one outing in 2026 might do for the Japanese driver’s future in F1.
Audi
Gabriel Bortoleto: B-
Starting in ninth, having made yet another Q3 appearance, Gabriel Bortoleto’s chances of finishing in the points quickly became more difficult after a bad start saw him dropping down the order. With a spin just behind Verstappen’s crash, the Brazilian driver ended the first lap down in 18th.
With the pace of the Audi having improved over the last few rounds, he was able to involve himself in small battles whilst making his way through the order. However, due to the spin in the early part of the race, he was not able to bring himself back into consideration for points and crossed the line in 13th.
Nico Hülkenberg: A
In opposite fortunes to his teammate, the German driver failed to reach Q3 and could only manage a 13th place start. On the opening lap, where he was overtaken by Bortoleto on two occasions, it seemed that Nico Hülkenberg was destined to be the second Audi in Zandvoort.
After narrowly missing a collision with Bortoleto after his spin, Hülkenberg utilised the pace of his Audi to bring himself into points contention. Following the opening laps, the German driver was locked in a close battle with the likes of Alpine and Racing Bulls; crucial overtakes included a move on Tsunoda. Utilising his years of experience to maintain his position, he ended the race as ‘the best of the rest’ driver in eighth.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly: B+
Having started in 11th, Pierre Gasly had an excellent opening lap and brought himself as high as eighth place after Verstappen had his crash ahead of the French driver. Upon the restart, Gasly was able to hold his position but with faster cars behind, it quickly became a defensive battle.
In the final stages of the race, Gasly remained within close distance of the Aston Martin ahead of him however was unable to find a way past, eventually settling for ninth in their bid to beat Racing Bulls in the Constructors’ standings.
Franco Colapinto: B
Unlike Gasly who was able to turn his starting position around, Franco Colapinto had a less successful time in Zandvroot. Starting in 14th, his eighth Q2 elimination so far this season, a very positive start where he overtook four drivers was nullified by a stewards’ decision. Having been given an early drive-through penalty due to a yellow flag infringement, there can be no doubt that Alpine’s strategy for the Argentine driver was derailed.
Without the upgrades that Gasly was using, Colapinto struggled for grip on his second stint and was unable to make an impact on the cars ahead to improve his position. Any further opportunity for promotion was nullified when, in the closing stages of the race, Colapinto was given yet another time penalty for a further yellow flag infringement. Despite all the action that Colapinto took part in, he crossed the line in the same position he qualified in of 14th.
Williams
Carlos Sainz: C
A disappointing first half of the season continued for the Grove based team as they recorded another points-less finish. Starting in 17th, Carlos Sainz knew that points would be an extremely unrealistic target especially given the performance gap between themselves and the other teams. Choosing to split strategies, Sainz’s running of soft tyres put him out of synch with the rest of the grid.
In the closing stages of the race, following his pit-stop onto another set of soft tyres, Sainz and his teammate came together which caused significant damage to the other Williams. As a result, Sainz was given a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision which had little impact on his final finishing position of 16th.
Alex Albon: C
In the other Williams, Alex Albon reported positive pace however had little to show for it at the end of the weekend. Starting just ahead of his teammate in 16th, the Thai driver found himself locked in a battle with an Aston Martin for many laps, however an early pit-stop put an end to that fight. Unlike Sainz, Albon’s strategy involved hard tyres which had mixed results for all the drivers on the grid.
Following his second pit-stop, which Albon called mis-timed, the driver was lapped by many of the front-runners and stuck in their dirty air as they battled ahead. Despite the split strategies, both Williams drivers found each other on-track and due to a lock up by Sainz, Albon sustained terminal damage to his car and was forced to retire from the race.
Cadillac
Sergio Pérez: C+
Having made changes to the suspension of his Cadillac prior to the race, Sergio Pérez was confirmed for a pit-lane start. Although he was held behind his teammate for the opening handful of laps, Pérez was able to make his way past and quickly joined the group of cars ahead of him. From a strategy perspective, the overcut was key and put the Mexican driver into an excellent position.
However, Pérez’s hard work was undone with the timing of the VSC. Ultimately, the Mexican driver finished ahead of the sole remaining Williams in the race in 15th. Post-race, the driver confirmed that “our [Cadillac’s] pace was strong”; the American-team remains the only constructor who have failed to score points so far this season.
Valtteri Bottas: C-
It was another disappointing weekend for the Finn driver who failed to see the chequered flag for the sixth time this season. Having started in 21st, the lead Cadillac with Pérez in last place of 22nd, it appeared that there was little for Cadillac to do except continue to collect valuable data.
On Lap 61 out of the 72 laps of the Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas pulled off to the side of the track after a suspected hydraulic issue which impacted his rear-wing.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso: A
Despite failing to progress into Q2 and starting the race in 18th, the two-time former world champion was able to turn things around for Aston Martin in Zandvoort. Opting to change the set-up, Fernando Alonso also started from the pit-lane. The crucial part of the Spanish driver’s race was the decision to stop during the restart and stay out while others came in for their pit-stops, allowing him to gain track position.
In the closing stages of the race, Alonso displayed a masterful performance in defending against Gasly’s Alpine behind to keep his position of ninth and score two incredibly valuable points. With points on the board, and a successful first outing for the upgraded Honda power-unit, there is every reason to believe that Aston Martin are finally beginning to turn things around.
Lance Stroll: C
While Alonso enjoyed running the new engine and aero upgrades for the entire duration of the race, Stroll did not get so lucky. Starting in 19th, there was little to do for Stroll except to ensure a smooth opening lap.
However, after an incident in the beginning part of the race, Stroll carried lasting damage and was forced to retire the car due to extensive handling issues; recording his seventh DNF of the season so far.
Looking Ahead
For the 12th round of the 2026 championship, the sport will return to the Temple of Speed for the Italian Grand Prix. With the championship order having changed in Zandvoort and ADUO results allowing teams to add upgrades to their engines, there is every opportunity for more excitement across the grid.
Will Norris be able to make it three race wins in a row, will Mercedes go back to winning ways or will Ferrari stand on the top step at their home Grand Prix for the first time since 2024? We’ll soon find out.
Edited by Meghana Sree
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