Oscar Piastri beats Lando Norris and wins the Dutch Grand Prix, extending his lead (and not by a small margin) in the world championship. A bitter return for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who head to Monza in low spirits: it's time for assessments, honest reflections and what the fifteenth round of the Formula 1 calendar has left us with.
A smoke screen that could change everything
Let's start with the undisputed winner, Oscar Piastri. A big 10 out of 10 for the Australian, who did not look like the favourite at all on the eve of the race. A massive pole position, as well as the race, where he gave Lando no chance to attack, forcing him to park his smoke-filled car (7). A retirement that weighs heavily, with his teammate extending his lead in the standings by a full 34 points. Who knows if we have witnessed a key move in the world championship challenge.
High burns
The return to the track for Leclerc and Hamilton (8 and 4) was rather painful: a double retirement not seen since the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, bringing disappointment and discouragement. The Monegasque's face on that hill overlooking Zandvoort is a painting on canvas that perfectly represents Ferrari's season - made up of more poles than glorious successes. In the endless wait for a car within his reach, Leclerc's overtaking of Russell remains in our minds. A masterstroke for a driver who is increasingly wasted on the streets of Maranello.
The five-place penalty imposed on Hamilton at Monza only adds to the disappointment of a weekend that, even before it begins, promises to be more complicated than exciting. Will beautiful Italy and the Ferrari fans be able to work a miracle for the Rosso duo?
When you least expect it
And then, suddenly, something extraordinary happens: Isack Hadjar (10) amazes his rivals and clinches his first Formula 1 podium. There is nothing the outsiders can do, as they are unable to even attempt to overtake the Frenchman, who has been on another level all weekend. The right strategy from his pit wall - and Norris' retirement - put him in the right place at the right time, earning him an unexpected podium finish.
In his first season in F1, a podium finish is a great calling card. Who knows, maybe the Red Bull bosses are already considering a move to Milton Keynes.
A successful gift
Max Verstappen licked his wounds and took home second place in front of his home crowd (8). A crazy overtaking manoeuvre at the start gave viewers and fans at Zandvoort goosebumps. Although his pace was not enough to fight with the Papaya duo, the Dutchman gave his all to be the best of the rest.
Between great performances and costly mistakes
After Hadjar, the applause was all for Oliver Bearman (9): the Ferrari star took a superb sixth place after starting from the pit lane. Great pace and masterful work from his pit wall, which made some spot-on calls, allowed him to climb back into the top 10. The same fate befell Ocon (8), who finished tenth to give Haas the double points it had been missing for some time.
Another honourable mention goes to Albon (8): after a difficult qualifying session, the Thai driver once again showed his great feeling with the FW47, climbing up to fifth place and once again marginalising Carlos Sainz (4), who was unlucky and penalised for what happened with Lawson (4).
We conclude with Lance Stroll, who, after mistakes in FP2 and qualifying, brought his Aston Martin back into the points after the British Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso also did well, thus completing a double haul for the British team. Precious points also for Tsunoda (7), back in the long-awaited top 10.
And Mercedes?
George Russell limited the damage by returning to his “safe place” in fourth position (7), albeit grumbling about Leclerc's overtaking manoeuvre. Kimi Antonelli (3) fared badly, being too impulsive - and naive - in his attempted overtaking manoeuvre on the Monegasque driver, which forced him to end his race. The Italian needs a clean and satisfying weekend: will the home crowd give him that and more?
The GP of the others
We close with Alpine and Sauber, both out of the points: too much fighting in the middle of the pack for the top 10 and too little pace (and luck) to really compete. But the Circus doesn't stop: there's another race this weekend, heading to Monza, the kingdom of the Rossa fans: will we be writing more colourful and exciting pages? We'll just have to wait and see.
See you soon, my friends.
Read the original version (italian): https://www.formula1.it/news/26585/1/la-rompipaddock-colline-sconsolate-nei-pressi-di-zandvoort?a=1
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