Amsterdam, August 22: Mercedes driver George Russell triumphed in the sprint race held at Zandvoort on Saturday, marking the return of Formula 1 after the summer break.
In this race, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc outpaced McLaren driver and reigning world champion Lando Norris.
Russell secured the most points in the Dutch GP, earning eight and narrowing the gap in the championship standings. This year marks the final edition of the Dutch GP. Current title leader Kimi Antonelli and second-placed Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and seventh, respectively.
Despite pressure from Norris early on, Russell maintained his lead from start to finish. Norris had to settle for third place as Leclerc overtook him to claim second.
Antonelli also closed in on Norris but ran out of laps. The Italian driver finished fourth, while Oscar Piastri took fifth, Max Verstappen sixth, Hamilton seventh, and Pierre Gasly eighth. This determined the eight drivers who scored points in the inaugural Dutch GP sprint.
Meanwhile, Russell’s third sprint victory of the season has tightened the championship race. At the weekend’s start, he had 160 points, trailing Hamilton by nine points, who had 169. Antonelli remains ahead in the title race, adding five points to his total, bringing his season tally to 224.
Russell looked impressive at the front of the grid, maintaining his lead while other drivers battled for position. He faced an early challenge from Norris in the initial laps of the 24-lap race.
Norris applied pressure on Russell during the early laps but later lost pace as Leclerc closed in from third. Antonelli quickly moved up to fourth by passing Piastri’s McLaren and then pressured Leclerc, who was one of the two drivers using soft compound tires alongside Gabriel Bortoleto.
Leclerc maintained a fast pace, waiting for his opportunity, which came in the final laps when he overtook a struggling Norris for second place. Piastri struggled to keep up with the top four, while four-time champion Verstappen faced challenges, including moments when Hamilton nearly passed him and when he found himself right behind Piastri. Leclerc’s Ferrari posed a strong challenge, hinting at fierce competition ahead, although Hamilton’s performance was less impressive.
The drivers who scored points in the Dutch GP sprint are as follows:
1 – George Russell: 8 points
2 – Charles Leclerc: 7 points
3 – Lando Norris: 6 points
4 – Kimi Antonelli: 5 points
5 – Oscar Piastri: 4 points
6 – Max Verstappen: 3 points
7 – Lewis Hamilton: 2 points
8 – Pierre Gasly: 1 point