The Dutch GP 2025 was never supposed to end like this. We came to Zandvoort expecting another Verstappen party, maybe a McLaren scrap, and Ferrari trying to stay relevant. Instead, fans went home with smoke in the air, three big names wiped out, and a rookie who suddenly found himself living a dream. Formula 1 can be cruel. It can also be magical. Sunday gave us both.
Piastri – Calm in the Storm
Oscar Piastri didn’t just win, he owned the place. Pole on Saturday, never gave it up on Sunday, and even bagged the fastest lap. A grand chelem, the kind of performance drivers remember for a lifetime.
It wasn’t flashy. He didn’t need to throw elbows or gamble on strategy. He just kept putting in lap after lap, neat and unshaken, while chaos unfolded behind him. If anyone doubted his title credentials, they won’t anymore. This was the day Piastri looked like a world champion in waiting.
Source: Reuters
Norris – Hope Goes Up in Smoke
Lando Norris looked set for P2. For 60 laps, he shadowed his teammate, waiting for a mistake that never came. And then, without warning, the car betrayed him. Smoke. Flames. Silence.
He pulled over, helmet slumped, knowing exactly what it meant: zero points. The kind of DNF that makes a season feel like it’s slipping through your fingers. The gap in the championship is now 34 points. That’s not impossible, but it’s a mountain when the man ahead looks this sharp.
The Norris garage said nothing afterwards. Sometimes silence says it all.
Source: The Guardian
Ferrari’s Double Heartbreak
Lewis Hamilton had spoken all week about finding rhythm with Ferrari. For 23 laps, it looked promising. Then one mistake in Turn 3, too much power, not enough grip and the red car sat in the wall. Out.
Charles Leclerc fared no better. Locked in a scrap with rookie Kimi Antonelli, he clipped wheels and spun straight into the barriers. Two Ferraris gone. A whole Dutch crowd gasping in disbelief. If Ferrari wanted momentum, this wasn’t it. This was rock bottom.
Source: TalkSport
The Moment Nobody Expected: Hadjar on the Podium
When the dust settled, and when the frontrunners were already packing up their broken cars, one name stood out: Isack Hadjar.
The Racing Bulls rookie didn’t fluke it. He kept his nose clean, managed his tyres, and raced like he had been in Formula 1 for years. When the chequered flag waved, he was third. A podium on only his first season. His radio message said it all pure, disbelieving joy.
Fans live for moments like this. A kid with wide eyes, standing where only legends usually stand. Racing is cruel, but sometimes it rewards those who keep the faith.
Source: Formula 1
Penalties Everywhere
The stewards had their share of drama too. Carlos Sainz picked up a 10-second penalty for colliding with Liam Lawson a mistake that killed his race.
Kimi Antonelli, still learning the ropes, was hit with two separate penalties. One for his clash with Leclerc, another for speeding in the pits. Growing pains, they’ll call it. Pain being the keyword.
Source: Planet F1
Verstappen’s Podium – Not the Party He Wanted
This was supposed to be Max Verstappen’s home race, his festival of orange. He drove well, tidy, second place secured. But for a man used to winning here, it felt muted. The fans roared anyway, flares filling the circuit in orange smoke. Their hero didn’t win, but he still stood tall on the podium.
Final Results – Dutch GP 2025
| Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – total control, grand chelem |
| 2 | Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – home podium worth more than placings |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – rookie dreams realized |
| 4 | George Russell (Mercedes) – solid recovery |
| 5 | Alex Albon (Williams) – fought through from the back after penalties |
DNFs: Norris, Hamilton, Leclerc.
This Race Had it All
Formula 1 is at its best when it delivers shock. The Dutch GP had it all: heartbreak, redemption, and the rise of a new star. Piastri leaves as a title favourite, Norris leaves wounded, Ferrari leaves broken, and Hadjar leaves immortalised in highlight reels.
Fans walked away buzzing. Some cheered, some cursed, some cried. But nobody left saying it was boring. And that’s the mark of a race that will be remembered.
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Sagnik Banerjee