Norris converting pole, Mercedes duelling and Verstappen's final charge at home: What to expect in the Dutch Grand Prix
- Meghana Sree
- 17 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Formula One heads to the dunes of Zandvoort for one final time, and as its swansong weekend comes to a close with the Grand Prix after the sprint sessions, there’s still plenty to discuss.
In our first round back after the summer break, Lando Norris seized pole ahead of the Mercedes pair in a busy qualifying session, right after George Russell bounced back with sprint pole and victory.
Going into the Sunday race, Norris will be eager to become the only repeat winner of the Dutch Grand Prix since its return to the calendar in 2021, home favourite Max Verstappen the only driver so far with that honour.
Here are five things to keep an eye on during Zandvoort’s one last hurrah.
Verstappen on a charge at home
If there’s one driver with nothing to lose and everything to gain this weekend, it’s Verstappen. The Dutchman won three consecutive Dutch Grands Prix from 2021 onwards, after which his dominant home streak was broken by our polesitter for the final edition of this race, Norris.
Verstappen will be fuelled by the ever-passionate orange army in the stands, always rooting for their Dutch lion who has never finished this race outside the top two.
This time however, his race won’t be quite as straightforward, with the Red Bull driver set to start seventh for his final home race.
Unhappy with his car since the weekend began, Verstappen’s biggest challenge this race will be extracting the maximum performance from the RB22. Finishing the sprint where he started in sixth, and with Zandvoort being a difficult track to overtake at, Verstappen will be hoping to have the edge in the strategy department or inclement weather to bring him in contention for the podium.
Norris chasing back-to-back victories
Ever since its return to the calendar, every single Dutch Grand Prix has been won from pole. Add Russell’s lights to flag sprint victory, and the odds are pretty high that Norris will seize the win at Zandvoort once more to become the only non-Mercedes repeat winner of this season so far, as well as the only driver apart from Verstappen to have secured more than one Dutch victory since the circuit’s return in 2021.
Norris’ win in Hungary before the summer shutdown was nothing short of impressive, with McLaren’s performance finally starting to come through in the second part of the season after their extensive troubles earlier this year.
Between the two McLaren teammates, Norris has been in better form so far this weekend, with Oscar Piastri lining up in fourth behind the two Mercedes.
Statistically, Norris should have this victory in the bag. But will anything cause this final Dutch Grand Prix to become an anomaly in the series of pole-to-flag wins?
A rejuvenated Russell keen to close the gap
Russell entered the first race back from the summer break with a spring in his step. After a torrid first half of the season, the Briton seems eager for a reversal of fortunes and his sprint pole and victory are definitely a positive sign of this endeavour.
Set to start right behind Norris, Russell will be intent on taking any chance to seize the victory from the McLaren driver and close the gap to teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ championship.
Antonelli currently sits 56 points ahead of Russell, a comfortable gap that cannot be surpassed this round but can definitely be chipped into.
If he is to rekindle the embers of his championship hopes, Russell will need to do everything possible to pip Norris while also making sure that Antonelli starting in third doesn’t finish ahead of him.
Red Bull’s driver swap in Grand Prix Action
One of the biggest coming into the weekend was Isack Hadjar’s wrist injury leading to the call-up of Liam Lawson to replace him in the Red Bull seat and Yuki Tsunoda returning to the sport to take Lawson’s spot in Racing Bulls.
For Lawson, Tsunoda, and Arvid Lindblad, this weekend is no ordinary one. It is a direct test of their abilities against each other in an effort to position themselves as the better Red Bull-supported drivers.
Lawson, being demoted to Racing Bulls after just two races last year at Red Bull, will be intent to prove his worth. Tsunoda, stepping into 2026 F1 machinery for the first ever time, will be eager to show Red Bull why he warrants a return to the sport. Lindblad meanwhile will be determined to show why he’s the next best thing for Red Bull.
Lindblad understandably has the upper hand in these pursuits, given the familiarity he’s had with his team and machinery, and currently on a six-race points streak.
However, Lawson stepped up during qualifying to secure an eighth place start for the Grand Prix, just a tenth away from Verstappen in the sister RB22.
Lindblad starts in 10th, while Tsunoda did well to progress into Q2 and will be lining up 12th for his first Grand Prix of the year.
Which driver will come out on top to remain in the conversation at Red Bull?
Unpredictable weather on the horizon
Rain can never be discounted at the Dutch Grand Prix. So far this weekend, we’ve seen splashes of rain but frustratingly, only right as sessions ended.
If it drizzles at any time during the 72-lap race, it’s safe to say that chaos will ensue. While forecasts don’t indicate any rain cells during the race timings, showers expected only in the forenoon, the possibility of light drops to influence the race remains considerable.
Moreover, the blustery winds will also be a huge challenge for drivers. With several drivers being caught out by the high winds blowing in from the North Sea across the weekend, the race could still be significantly impacted by unpredictable weather conditions.
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