Piastri Victorious While Hadjar Grabs First Podium in Dutch GP Drama

Oscar Piastri delivered a masterclass at Zandvoort to claim victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, fending off home hero Max Verstappen and rookie sensation Isack Hadjar, who secured his first-ever Formula 1 podium. 

The Australian started from pole, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris alongside. Max Verstappen lined up in third to the roar of the Dutch fans, while rookie Isack Hadjar achieved a career-best P4. 

When the lights went out, Piastri moved aggressively to block Norris. Verstappen swept around the outside, briefly grabbing second before Norris fought back hard. Verstappen made a bold lunge to secure P2, nearly losing control in the process. Behind, Albon made a stunning start, climbing five places into 10th.

But the midfield quickly turned chaotic. At Turn 11, Lance Stroll and Gabriel Bortoleto collided, damaging the Brazilian’s front wing. And by lap 8, Norris was within a second of Verstappen, pulling off a beautiful move on Turn 1 around the outside, reclaiming second place before setting the fastest lap on Lap 11 and closing in on Piastri. 

As light rain began falling on Lap 17, tyre wear was already proving brutal. BY Lap 23, conditions worsened, and disaster struck. Lewis Hamilton lost the rear of his Ferrari on a wet curb at Turn 3, slamming into the barriers and triggering a safety car. 

The restart on Lap 26 saw Piastri bolt away cleanly, while chaos unfolded behind. Liam Lawson and Carlos Sainz battled for seventh, both suffering damage and limping to the pits. A furious Sainz spoke over the radio: “He’s just so stupid, oh my god. This guy, it’s always the same guy.”

Leclerc and Russell then banged wheels in a fierce fight, with Leclerc squeezing through into fifth. However, the move was controversial and remained under investigation until the end of the race. If Leclerc gets handed a penalty, his Monza race will be affected. While at Williams, Sainz was handed a brutal 10-second penalty for his role in the earlier collision with Lawson. 

At the front, Norris was instructed to hunt Piastri and by Lap 40, he had cut the gap to 1.2 seconds. The race looked set to be another McLaren showdown.

As the rain eased, drama hit again. On Lap 52, Leclerc pitted for fresh tyres but collided with rookie Kimi Antonelli. The contact spun Leclerc into the barriers, ending his race. Antonelli was hit with a 10-second penalty for causing the crash, and later an additional five seconds for speeding in the pit lane. 

The safety car bunched up the field once more, setting up another tense restart on Lap 57. Norris attacked Piastri immediately, while Verstappen followed. However, just as the battle for victory intensified, Norris saw smoke from his McLaren, forcing him to retire. The heartbreak promoted Verstappen to second and Hadjar into a sensational podium position. 

The safety car ended on Lap 68, the final stint of the race, but Verstappen could do nothing to challenge Piastri as his tyres weren’t there. Behind them, Hadjar held his nerve under late pressure to secure his first-ever F1 podium, an incredible achievement for the French rookie. 

Piastri’s dominant win extends his lead in the championship, leaving his teammate, Norris with nine races to fight back.