Lando Norris claimed his second consecutive victory of the season after an eventful 2026 Dutch GP. Behind him were the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in P2 and P3, respectively. It was an outing to forget for the home hero Max Verstappen, whose final race at his home circuit came to a premature end when he crashed into the barriers on Lap 1.
The race featured multiple crashes and retirements, along with some interesting strategies. We discuss some of the highlights from F1’s 2026 Dutch GP in our Biggest Hits and Misses format.
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Hit: Lando Norris gets second consecutive win of the season
After the successful upgrade that earned Norris his maiden victory in Hungary, coming to Zandvoort, the team was not very confident about the MCL40, as was evident in Saturday’s sprint race, where the team’s poor pace and management of the medium compound made it impossible for them to catch up to Mercedes.
Sunday felt different as polesitter Norris got off to a great start, only for the race to be red-flagged, after which he lost his position to Kimi Antonelli at the standing restart. The team extended his middle stint on the medium tyres, and after his switch to the hard tyres, he was in a league of his own as he overtook Hamilton and subsequently Antonelli in one lap.
Team principal Andrea Stella gave insights into the set-up changes after the difficult Saturday. He also praised Norris’s performance as Oscar Piastri struggled.
“I think Lando had an extra [gear] in terms of understanding how to use this [hard] compound,” Stella said. “These conditions, I think this is where he can express his natural driving style.”
Miss: Max Verstappen crashes at last home race
Max Verstappen had the bad fortune of crashing at his last home race during the first lap of the 2026 Dutch GP. Things did not start well for the Dutchman this weekend, as he was struggling with grip. There was no rain during the race itself, but there was rain an hour before the race, which set the stage for what was going to be a chaotic race.
Unfortunately, the home hero became the first victim. The flat-out Luyendyk corner was particularly damp, and Verstappen made a rare mistake as he was too eager on his right foot coming onto the main straight. He veered into the outside wall, and the result was a crash that caused the red flag.
This was not how the Dutchman and his fanbase would have wanted his final home race to end.
Hit: Liam Lawson’s impressive performance as Red Bull stand-in
After his very difficult first stint with Red Bull in early 2025, which only lasted for two races, Isack Hadjar’s injury provided Lawson with a chance to redeem himself with Red Bull.
It was a different car for him, and he needed to adapt in a limited time. After his performance throughout the weekend, he concluded it with an impressive P7, becoming the sole points scorer for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
The weekend showcased maturity in his character and demonstrated his exceptional skills.
Miss: Ferrari miss out on the podium due to poor strategy
It was yet another disappointment for the Ferrari pair. Despite having a fast car, they were unable to bring it to the podium. Difficult qualifying and poor strategy execution remain a problem for the Maranello squad. A late virtual safety car (VSC) made things worse for Hamilton, as any chance to overtake George Russell was eliminated.
Kimi Antonelli remains on top of the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC), with Russell climbing up to P2 and Hamilton dropping to P3. After a one-week break, F1 will resume at Monza.
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