Heartbreak for Norris as Piastri extends lead in drivers’ championship with Dutch GP win

Lando Norris suffered a dramatic late engine failure at the Dutch Grand Prix as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri took a major step towards the title.

Pole-sitter Piastri was cruising towards a lights-to-flag victory at Zandvoort, holding off championship rival Norris before the British driver reported smoke from his cockpit seven laps from the end and swiftly came to a halt.

A dejected Norris sat with his head between his knees on the bank at the side of the track as his title hopes suffered a massive blow, with Piastri opening up a 34-point lead with nine rounds of the championship remaining.

It was also another miserable afternoon for Lewis Hamilton, who began the weekend by saying he wanted to enjoy racing for Ferrari after suggesting they should ditch him when he started and finished 12th in Hungary before the summer break.

He was running seventh when, in light rain, he crashed into the barriers and suffered his first retirement for the Scuderia.

Worse was to come for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc collided with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli on lap 53, himself ending up in the barriers at turn three as the Italian team suffered a double elimination.

Max Verstappen delighted the home support by finishing second and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar secured a first career podium ahead of George Russell in fourth.

03:58 PM BST

Updated constructor standings

03:57 PM BST

Updated driver standings

A healthy rather than marginal lead for Piastri now after Norris’s DNF from second. 

03:51 PM BST

Piastri on his victory

“It feels good obviously. I feel like it’s a pretty hard act to follow Isack standing up here. Incredibly unfortunate for Lando at the end but felt like I was in control of that one and used the pace when I needed to. Very happy with all the work we’ve done to improve. Just trying to improve everywhere we can. The start of this weekend was looking like a difficult one and managed to get it together in qualifying... we weathered it all. Very proud of the whole team.”

03:50 PM BST

Hadjar reacts to a maiden podium

“Yeah, it feels a bit unreal. What was most surprising to me was keeping that fourth place for the whole race. We did no mistake, the car was on rails the whole weekend. Made no mistakes and brought home the podium. This is the first step, my first podium and hopefully much more.”

03:49 PM BST

Verstappen reacts

“We didn’t have the pace of the McLarens and then got a bit lucky with one retiring. In general to be on the podium here is a great result but to be in second is a great result. I tried to send it into turn three but unfortunately there was too much sand in turn two... I knew we had the softer compound so I had to try to make it work on the first lap.”

03:47 PM BST

Isack Hadjar...

The man who crashed out of the formation lap on what should have been his grand prix debut. Takes a well deserved podium for Racing Bulls. Without Norris’s retirement it would have been fourth but no doubt that he deserves to stand up there. Not an element of luck for finishing in the top four whatsoever. He was never that far behind Verstappen, who drove a great race. 

DO NOT WIPE YOUR EYES! WE HAVE A HADJODIUM!!!!! #F1#VCARB#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/viLQXhxlD0

— Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team (@visacashapprb) August 31, 2025

03:45 PM BST

Dutch GP - Top 10

1. PIA 25pts
2. VER 18pts
3. HAD 15pts
4. RUS 12pts
5. ALB 10pts
6. BEA 8pts
7. STR 6pts
8. ALO 4pts
9. TSU 2pts
10. OCO 1pt

“Sorry for Lando what happeened, but well done everybody,” Piastri says on the radio. Antonelli slips down to 16th after his penalties are applied. 

03:43 PM BST

🏁 OSCAR PIASTRI WINS THE 2025 DUTCH GRAND PRIX!

He may well have won it anyway. He did not put a foot wrong, but the bonus of Lando Norris retiring means he now has a hefty points advantage heading into the final nine rounds of the season. 

🥇 Oscar Piastri, McLaren

🥈 Max Verstappen, Red Bull

🥉 Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

03:42 PM BST

FINAL LAP

A few corners left for Piastri...

03:41 PM BST

Lap 71 of 72 - Piastri pulls out a lead

1.6sec. That is surely that. Will be a fine second for Verstappen and perhaps even finer third for Hadjar.  Russell fourth and Albon fifth. 

03:39 PM BST

Lap 70 of 72 - A few spots of rain

Nothing significant, though. 1.3sec Piastri leads Verstappen by with Isack Hadjar a further 1.3sec behind Verstappen. 

Two laps to go after the end of this. 

03:38 PM BST

Lap 69 of 72 - Race restarts!

Crucial for Piastri to keep ahead of Verstappen and keep out of trouble. Another SC restart for Piastri and again he nails it, or near enough.

03:35 PM BST

Lap 67 of 72 - Order under SC

1. PIA
2. VER
3. HAD
4. RUS
5. ALB
6. ANT ❗
7. BEA
8. STR
9. ALO
10. GAS

Not good news for Antonelli that the pack is backing up. He was building a lead and still has to serve 15 seconds’ worth of penalties. 

03:33 PM BST

Lap 66 of 72 - Norris climbs out of his car...

...over the barrier and slumps down onto the grassy sand banks with his helmet still on. Disconsolate.

No words #F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/2hpDFow1t9

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

“You were fast today, you were really fast,” he is told by his race engineer Will Joseph.

“Yeahhh. Doesn’t matter... I know, I know. Unlucky boys. Unlucky.”

03:31 PM BST

Lap 65 of 72 - Is this the end of Norris’s race?

❌Yes it is! He has smoke coming out of his car and it gets worse. He has to pull over to the side of the track and retire. How critical could that be in the championship fight?!

Total heartbreak for Lando 💔#F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/DaTj11YeuT

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

That will be a Safety Car.

Piastri leads Verstappen and Hadjar, who is on for a podium...

03:30 PM BST

Lap 64 of 72 - Top 10 and gaps

1. PIA
2. NOR +1.2
3. VER +5.7
4. HAD +7.5
5. RUS +10.1
6. ALB +10.6
7. ANT +11.7
8. BEA +20.5
9. STR +22.8
10. GAS  +24.1

03:28 PM BST

Lap 63 of 72 - Bearman into eighth

A fine drive so far from the British Haas driver in what has been a difficult recent few months. He’s not too far away from Albon, either. 

03:27 PM BST

Lap 62 of 72 - More bad news for Mercedes

 ❗ Five-second time penalty for Antonelli for speeding in the pit lane. A good chance for other teams to pick up points with Mercedes having a difficult day and Ferrari’s double DNF. 

03:26 PM BST

Watch: Antonelli crashes into Leclerc

Huge contact between Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc! 💥

A second Ferrari crashes out of the Dutch GP ❌ pic.twitter.com/HCmEvPGcJL

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 31, 2025

03:25 PM BST

Lap 61 of 72 - Norris just slipping back a bit

1.4sec, having lost 0.7sec the last lap. 

03:24 PM BST

Lap 60 of 72 - Piastri leads Norris by 0.9sec

⁉️Antonelli under investigation for speeding in the pit lane. Another penalty heading his way, surely. Verstappen has slipped back 1.6sec behind Norris so we are back to a certified two-horse race at the front. Norris needs to get a move on. 

03:22 PM BST

Lap 58 of 72 - 🟩 Race restarts!

No moves in the front three. Nobody close enough to try a sensible move. 15 laps to go. Has Norris got the pace to challenge his team-mate? He hasn’t had so far. He has been quick enough to get close, but no more than that. 

03:21 PM BST

Lap 57 of 72 - The SC is ending

Piastri backs the pack up... his restart isn’t quite as good this time... might Norris get a run? Not sure. Verstappen is close himself to Norris...

03:20 PM BST

Lap 56 of 73 - ❗ 10-second penalty for Antonelli

He is currently in seventh. The two McLarens in first and second are on hard tyres and then everyone else in the top 10 is on new softs down to Gasly and Alonso on old hards. 

Is Verstappen out of contention here? Will be interesting to see him have a run on tyres that are two steps softer than the orange cars. 

03:17 PM BST

Lap 55 of 72 - 🟧 Order under the SC

1. PIA
2. NOR
3. VER
4. HAD
5. RUS
6. ALB
7. ANT
8. GAS
9. ALO
10. BOR
11. BEA
12. STR
13. TSU
14. OCO
15. COL
16. HUL
17. LAW
18. SAI

OUT: LEC, HAM

Antonelli will surely be penalised for that but no word on the investigation yet. 

03:14 PM BST

Lap 54 of 72 - 💥 LECLERC IS OUT OF THE RACE!

Antonelli and Leclerc are close as the Ferrari comes out of the pit lane and they collide at turn three! Antonelli on the inside and spears Leclerc into the barriers! He loses his front wing and has to retire with a rear puncture too.

LAP 53/72

More drama for Ferrari 😵

Leclerc and Antonelli make contact at Turn 3 and Leclerc spins out of the race ❌

Safety Car #F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/c5C9vm3vhD

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

The stricken Ferrari is stuck on the track and we have a Safety Car again. Antonelli has a puncture and has to come into the pit lane.

He came from such a long way back there. It was silly. He knew he had tyres that were warmer but that was desperate from the Mercedes driver.

03:12 PM BST

Lap 52 of 72 - In comes Leclerc

Antonelli had been in the previous lap to try to undercut the Ferrari. Will it work?

03:11 PM BST

Lap 51 of 72 - Will Norris get a sniff here?

Without a mistake from Piastri, I don’t think he will. 

03:08 PM BST

Lap 50 of 72 - Sainz still unhappy

💬 Sainz is on the radio again. “Make sure we go visit the stewards after the race. I want to have a talk with them,” he says. The incident is available to view below:

Liam Lawson and Carlos Sainz clash on the restart! 😳 pic.twitter.com/iZILmIDONc

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 31, 2025

I have to say I see his point. 

03:06 PM BST

Lap 49 of 72 - Norris struggling to make inroads now

The gap, in fairness, has been fairly stable now around 1.2-1.5sec. It is occasionally stretching to a little beyond that. It looks a tough ask for Norris in the dirty air. 

03:04 PM BST

Lap 47 of 72 - 💬 Sainz not happy with his 10sec penalty

“It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in my life,” he says on the radio, after asking his team if they are joking. 

03:03 PM BST

Lap 45 of 72 - Top 10

1. PIA
2. NOR
3. VER
4. HAD
5. LEC
6. ANT
7. RUS
8. ALB
9. STR
10. OCO

Antonelli not making much of an impression into Leclerc’s advantage at the moment. Verstappen is only two seconds ahead of Hadjar and may well need to stop again. What a race Hadjar is having, by the way. 

03:01 PM BST

Lap 44 of 72 - Has Piastri got enough?

We will find out. The damage to Russell’s car is to the left side of his floor after Leclerc barged his way through at the chicane. The gap is fairly stable, but small at the moment. A mistake from the leader could be costly, though. 

02:59 PM BST

Lap 42 of 72 - Norris on the charge

1.0 the gap now. Almost DRS range, but not quite. Piastri then opens up a bit of a lead on the pit straight. The Leclerc and Russell incident is being investigated after the race. Not great. 

02:58 PM BST

Lap 41 of 72 - Russell lets Antonelli through

On the team orders. Russell has damage and they think he will not be able to compete with Leclerc ahead. Russell is a little surprised by this order but complies. 

02:57 PM BST

Lap 40 of 72 - Norris has his fast cap on

Another tenth out of the Australian’s lead on the last lap. 

02:55 PM BST

Lap 38 of 73 - Big gain from Norris

0.343sec out of Piastri’s lead the last lap around. 1.5sec now the difference. A big battle in the midfield for the final points paying position. Ocon currently holds it but Haas team-mate Bearman is not too far behind him. It’s then Tsunoda, Alonso, Gasly, Colapinto and Bortoleto not too far behind. 

02:53 PM BST

Lap 37 of 72 - Top 10 and gaps

1. PIA
2. NOR +1.9
3. VER +4.0
4. HAD +5.0
5. LEC +6.1
6. RUS +8.7
7. ANT +10.2
8. ALB +12.9
9. STR +19.0
10. OCO +20.8

02:51 PM BST

Lap 35 of 72 - ⁉️ Russell/Leclerc incident noted

I am certain that will be investigated very shortly. Yes, we have that confirmed now.  Here is that incident. Make up your own mind. 

George and Charles 😳

What a battle between these two! ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/PkonE3wS7N

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 31, 2025

Norris is told to “just go get him”. Him being race leader Piastri, obviously. He was 0.2sec faster than Piastri the last lap.

02:50 PM BST

Lap 34 of 72 - Piastri leads Norris by 1.6sec

Verstappen a further two seconds behind. Antonelli up into seventh with a nice move on Albon at the start of the lap. Track surface slippery in sector 16 apparently. It is now clear. 

Leclerc has had his lap time deleted with that move on Russell, so surely he will not be able to keep that place? Or will at least get a time penalty?

02:48 PM BST

Lap 32 of 72 - Russell and Leclerc collide

Bumper cars at the chicane and Leclerc gets through, somehow! Russell tries to go down the outside on the pit straight but cannot make it stick! He will be furious at that. Bold from Leclerc. He went off the track on the inside of the chicane and made it work. 

“I mean he was fully off track, surely,” Russell says on the radio. 

❗ Meanwhile it is a 10-second time penalty for Sainz for causing a collision. 

02:46 PM BST

Lap 31 of 72 - A better lap from Norris

He takes out 0.3sec from Piastri on the last lap. 

🟧 We now have a Virtual Safety Car because of debris on the main straight. From Sainz’s Williams, I believe. Norris is told his team want him to go to the chequered flag on these tyres. 

🟩 The debris is cleared and we get racing again. 

02:44 PM BST

Lap 30 of 72 - Top 10 and gaps

1. PIA
2. NOR +2.2
3. VER +3.7
4. HAD +4.8
5. RUS +5.3
6. LEC +6.6
7. ALB +8.1
8. ANT +8.6
9. STR +12.2
10. OCO +13.5

02:43 PM BST

Lap 29 of 72 - Piastri increases his lead to two seconds

Verstappen has dropped back by 1.4sec behind Norris. I don’t think it is raining any more. Sainz and Lawson resume their battle after stopping to replace their punctured tyres. 

02:42 PM BST

Watch: Hamilton crashes out

Lewis Hamilton crashes OUT of the Dutch Grand Prix 💥😳 pic.twitter.com/wruPWNXzlr

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 31, 2025

02:41 PM BST

Lap 27 of 72 - 💥 Sainz and Lawson come together!

They were fighting for seventh but have now dropped down to 18th and 19th after that collision. That has put Ocon and Stroll up to the points. They both pit. 

Verstappen is harrying Norris but Piastri leads the Briton by a second. 

02:38 PM BST

Lap 26 of 72 - SC in this lap

Hamilton has taken the short walk back to the paddock. With his helmet on. Piastri backs the pack up. Will Norris be able to launch an attack? 

He’s perhaps a bit too far behind as they take the start/finish straight. 

02:36 PM BST

Lap 25 of 72 - Top 10 under SC

1. PIA
2. NOR
3. VER
4. HAD
5. RUS
6. LEC
7. LAW
8. SAI
9. OCO
10. ALB

Verstappen on the medium tyre, the rest of the field on the hards. 

02:35 PM BST

Lap 24 of 73 - Hamilton ran wide at turn three

Heavily banked corner, ran wide and then tried to keep going around but hit the barrier at the top of the track and on the exit. I wonder whether he could have lifted off there. I don’t think it was anything to do with the rain, though the part of the run-off he was on would be slippery. 

🟧 Safety Car still out. Piastri leads Norris at the front of the field as they have caught the SC.

02:33 PM BST

Lap 23 of 72 - 🟨 HAMILTON IS IN THE WALL!

He’s out of the race and that will surely bring out the Safety Car. It does. It looks to be at the start of the lap for Hamilton. McLaren double stack their cars as a flurry of pit stops occur. Slow getting away for Norris.

LAP 23/72

Hamilton has found the barriers 💥 He's out of the race ❌

Safety Car #F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/FwrjobwIA1

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

No replay on what happened with Hamilton. Perhaps a slightly slippery track. It doesn’t get any better for him, does it?

02:31 PM BST

Lap 22 of 72 - Piastri has extended his lead

3.5sec now. Norris’s pace has dropped off a little. Still matching his team-mate but no longer faster as he was for six or seven laps. 

In comes Leclerc. 

02:30 PM BST

Lap 20 of 72 - Hamilton is harrying Russell

He is just 0.6sec behind the Mercedes. The Ferrari car certainly looks the faster at the moment. Leclerc in fifth and doing well, but still 1.1sec behind Hadjar. 

02:29 PM BST

Lap 19 of 72 - In comes Tsunoda

The rain is definitely getting heavier. Will others decide to stay out if the switch to intermediates will be a thing in the next five or 10 minutes?

02:26 PM BST

Lap 18 of 73 - Piastri leads Norris by 3.0sec

The gap is coming down slowly. Hamilton within one second of his old team-mate George Russell in the battle for sixth. I don’t think Piastri needs to overly concerned just yet. 

02:24 PM BST

Lap 17 of 72 - Top six and gaps

1. PIA
2. NOR +3.1
3. VER +12.2
4. HAD +14.2
5. LEC +15.8
6. RUS +18.1

02:23 PM BST

Lap 15 of 72 - Another good lap from Norris

Half a second or so from Piastri’s lead in the last couple of laps.

🌧️ Are we seeing the first sign of rain? Yes, we are.

LAP 16/72

Is it raining yet, Zak? #F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/l0mpUwBQSI

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

02:22 PM BST

Lap 14 of 72 - Norris faster again

Not by a great deal but he gets the gap down to leader Piastri to 3.3sec. Verstappen is now 6.7sec behind Norris. Leclerc hustling Hadjar but the Racing Bulls is holding his own. 

02:18 PM BST

Lap 12 of 72 - Verstappen is in trouble here

Well, relatively. He was a second slower than Piastri the last time around and only marginally faster than Hadjar. Only Verstappen in the top 10 is on the soft compound tyres and the lap times suggest they are running out of grip now. 

02:16 PM BST

Lap 10 of 72 - Piastri leads Norris by 4.6sec

⏱️ Here is the top 10 and gaps: 

1. PIA
2. NOR +4.2
3. VER +6.0
4. HAD +8.1
5. LEC +9.0
6. RUS +10.5
7. HAM +11.7
8. LAW +14.2
9. SAI +15.8
10. ALB +18.4

Antonelli down in 12th behind Tsunoda. Norris does the fastest lap 0.340sec faster than his team-mate. No sign of the rain... yet. 

02:14 PM BST

Lap 8/9 of 73 - Norris back into second!

Verstappen vulnerable on the pit straight here. Norris tries to go around the outside of turn one and Verstappen makes him work for it. He keeps his nerve and retakes second place from Verstappen. Piastri is 4.4sec up the road...

Round the outside!

What a move from Lando to get him back into second 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/XytXBWKJc5

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 31, 2025

02:12 PM BST

Lap 6 of 72 - Rain news...

It will be “light initially” but then will last seven to 10 laps, according to one race engineer. 3.3sec the gap now from leader to Verstappen. Piastri was half a second faster than Verstappen the last time around. Norris closing in on the Red Bull. 

02:10 PM BST

Watch: Race start

Norris only briefly retook second and that is when Verstappen had his big moment. Committed he certainly was. 

LIGHTS OUT IN ZANDVOORT 🚥

Max Verstappen's fantastic start secures him P2 😧 pic.twitter.com/kDP4dhRmkm

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 31, 2025

02:10 PM BST

Lap 5 of 72 - Piastri increases his lead

2.6sec the gap now over Verstappen. Norris already 4.2sec behind the leader, though he has escaped the clutches of Hadjar. 

02:08 PM BST

Lap 3 of 72 - 🌧️ Is rain on the way?

Perhaps soon. Perhaps light, perhaps a little heavier. Piastri leads by nearly two seconds now. Here is the top 10 as it stands. 

1. PIA
2. VER
3. NOR
4. HAD
5. LEC
6. RUS
7. HAM
8. LAW
9. SAI
10. ALB

02:06 PM BST

Lap 2 of 72 - A great start for Albon

He’s into 10th after a rapid opening lap. Piastri has a 1.5sec lead and Verstappen is a similar amount ahead of Norris with  Hadjar within DRS range of the McLaren. More worry for Norris. 

02:05 PM BST

🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX IS GO!

Piastri gets a good start and so does Verstappen! Norris looks to have kept second as Verstappen has a massive wobble at turn three but then somehow manages to make the move stick soon after! Norris is down to third. Not a good start. Verstappen did well to keep it going on the track.

⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️
⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️

LIGHTS OUT AT ZANDVOORT!!!

Piastri leads into Turn 1 and Verstappen storms through to takes P2 from Norris!! #F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/QBDzGaz7Y2

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

Piastri leads Verstappen, Norris, Hadjar, Leclerc and Russell.

02:01 PM BST

🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢 The formation lap is go

Verstappen, interesting, has chosen to go onto the soft tyres. The rest of the top 10 and in fact most of the rest of the field are on medium tyres. Worth a go for Verstappen, I guess. 

01:57 PM BST

We are nearly ready to get going

It's time to go racing! 🤩#F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/p7DFUokdaP

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

Strategy wise it could be a two-stopper. That is why Pirelli have gone a step softer for the compounds this year. Doesn’t mean it will play out like that for everyone or even most drivers. 

01:48 PM BST

Final starting grid

This is how they line up. 

Oliver Bearman starts from the pit lane because of changing power unit components. Given he qualified well down and Monza is next week, that is not a bad idea. 

01:42 PM BST

Can the overall one-two finish record in a season be beaten?

At their current rate of one one-two finish every other race they will reach Mercedes’ record 12 by the end of the season. Not impossible that it is beaten but it is far from a formality. 

01:36 PM BST

McLaren can equal a record today

Currently the record for the most consecutive grand prix one-two finishes is five, achieved on a few occasions. McLaren can match that today. 

What a season it is turning out to be for them. 

01:32 PM BST

Drivers forming up on the grid now

The stands are filling up to their maximum. 

The pit lane opens 👉#F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/Z9JmiqQJan

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 31, 2025

01:31 PM BST

Average qualifying position so far this year

This is the top 10. If you want to know who is at the very bottom: it’s Nico Hulkenberg. 

Hadjar having an excellent season for Racing Bulls after that nightmare start in Melbourne when he crashed out on the formation lap. 

01:24 PM BST

Should McLaren’s drivers have total freedom to race?

That is what Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff suggested this weekend. It was a situation he found himself in last decade when his two drivers were miles ahead of the rest of the field. He said he wished he would have allowed them total freedom. 

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella rejected that there could be – and will be – complete freedom for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, despite a similarly large advantage for the team. 

“The way we go racing at McLaren is based on being respectful of some principles of some values that we have defined for some time. It has been the work that has seen not only the team but also the drivers involved. 

“These principles, rules of engagement and the conversations that we have that ultimately define the way we go racing reflect the input from everyone,” Stella said after qualifying. 

“They don’t mean that the drivers are free to do what they want. They are free to race in the sense that we want to give them the opportunity to express their talent, their abilities, their aspirations but decisions should always be made within the boundaries of the team interests coming first. 

“The team interest may have different meanings depending on the situation. But in general a condition that you could summarise that they are free to race, they could do whatever they want is not the present of how we go racing at McLaren and will not be the future of how we go racing at McLaren – even when we win and if we win the constructors’ championship.”

The pair have already crashed once on track this season but that was largely from a huge error from Norris, rather than a genuine botched overtaking attempt or something that was overly risky. I cannot see us getting to the end of the season without another significant flashpoint between the two men. Will we see one today?

01:22 PM BST

Weather forecast

There is a bit of rain in the air but when I said “a bit” that is exactly what I mean. A few spits and spots at the absolute worst at the moment. I don’t think anything substantial is forecast, not by the one I have been using, anyway. 

01:18 PM BST

Drivers’ championship standings – Top 10

Speaking of the standings, this is how it sits with 10 rounds and three sprint races remaining. 

01:15 PM BST

A miserable weekend for Lance Stroll

One crash on Friday and one crash on Saturday and qualified 20th and last after not setting a lap time. 

A big crash for Lance in Q1!

He manages to keep it going and get back to the pits 👇 pic.twitter.com/awPQycnu7b

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 30, 2025

He is level on points with Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso but that does not reflect the true state of play throughout the season. 

01:06 PM BST

Times after qualifying

1. Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1min 08.662secs
2. Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:08.674
3. Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:08.925
4. Isack Hadjar (Fra) RB 1:09.208
5. George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:09.255
6. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:09.340
7. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Ferrari 1:09.390
8. Liam Lawson (Nzl) RB 1:09.500
9. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) Williams 1:09.505
10. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:09.630
11. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes GP 1:09.493
12. Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Red Bull 1:09.622
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Bra) Kick Sauber 1:09.622
14. Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:09.637
15. Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:09.652
16. Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine 1:10.104
17. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Kick Sauber 1:10.195
18. Esteban Ocon (Fra) Haas F1 1:10.197
19. Oliver Bearman (Gbr) Haas F1 1:10.262
20. Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin No Time Set

01:02 PM BST

Good afternoon F1 fans

Welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix. After much anticipation and hope of one of the closest seasons in Formula One history, 2025 has turned into a straight battle between the two McLaren drivers. Red Bull have won two races and Mercedes one, but beyond that it has been Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri taking honours. 

That looks almost certain to be the case at Zandvoort this weekend but at least the margins are close. Yesterday the gap was 0.012sec between the pair in qualifying with Piastri pulling a lap out of the bag when it mattered. The Australian leads Norris by just nine points with 14 rounds gone. Can he extend that further in the first race after the summer break?

You would say that Norris likely needs to get him off the line to do that but it is a short run down to turn one. There is a strategic option too – and that is how he ended up (surprisingly) winning in Hungary last time round. Either way, it seems unlikely that either McLaren driver will get too far away from their team-mate in the standings. It would be nice to see the season go down to the wire. 

Elsewhere, Max Verstappen pulled out one of the laps of the day to get within 0.3sec of the McLarens, whilst Isack Hadjar put in a career-best fourth to line up alongside Verstappen on the second row. He may well be lining up in the other Red Bull garage next year. 

The race gets under way at 2pm BST and all eyes will be on the front row for what could be a frantic and dramatic first lap at the Dutch seaside. Let’s hope so, anyway. We will be here for the build-up, live action and reaction from Zandvoort.