Tag: Dutch GP

Mercedes on Dutch GP team orders: We would’ve done the exact same thing the other way around

Mercedes has reviewed its Dutch Grand Prix team orders and remains convinced that asking Kimi Antonelli to pass George Russell late in the Formula 1 race secured a double podium. The team also says it would have made the same decision if the drivers had been in the opposite positions.

Why Mercedes swapped Antonelli and Russell

Esteban Ocon triggered a virtual safety car on lap 55 at Zandvoort, with Antonelli running second and Russell fourth, separated by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Both Ferraris pitted immediately, while Antonelli stopped one lap later. The strategy promoted Russell to second, ahead of the three cars that had pitted.

Running on fresher soft tyres, Antonelli quickly closed on Russell and Mercedes instructed Russell to let his team-mate through. Although Russell initially questioned the call, he complied and spent the remainder of the race defending third place from both Ferraris.

Antonelli could not catch race winner Lando Norris and finished second. Russell, helped by another late virtual safety car, held off the Ferraris to complete Mercedes’ double podium.

After Mercedes’ post-race debrief on Monday, deputy team principal Bradley Lord explained why the team had reviewed the decision and remained satisfied with its reasoning.

“It seemed good, to be honest,” Lord said on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “One of the funny consequences of that early red flag was actually we were all sort of hot-footing out of Zandvoort and we actually only had the debrief on Monday after the race rather than Sunday in the immediate aftermath, because things were delayed and then everyone was heading out and both the drivers were in the press conference and have all of their stuff to complete as well.

“George quite naturally asked the question, just stress-tested it when he first got the communication. But then understood that bigger picture that with Kimi we’d taken the chance of a free stop behind the VSC.

“If George had made the same stop, he’d have dropped behind one of the Ferraris and given up that podium position regardless. And then really it comes back to what have you talked about beforehand and how clear is how the team’s going to operate.

“And we’d been really clear in that Sunday morning strategy meeting that it is too close for us to be able to lose any time at all with our two drivers fighting each other and costing each other time.

“So that had set the basis then for the decision. And I think it’s fair to say that had that been the other way around, we’d have done exactly the same thing in order to give ourselves the best chance of the P2 finish and to give the car in third, again, the clear air and the best chance of holding position as well.”

Mercedes rejected tow strategy for Russell

Mercedes also considered giving Russell a tow and Overtake Mode, which serves a similar purpose to the previous-generation DRS system. However, the team decided against the tactic because the expected benefit was small and the risk of it backfiring was significant.

“We had the conversation and there was a bit of a debate,” Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes trackside engineering director, explained. “In the end, we decided that it’s not a massive gain in terms of lap time there.

“It’s two tenths. And it’s fair to say that those two tenths is on the straight. So that’s probably the place that you’re going to be vulnerable.

“There was also some concern of just the cars getting tangled up if we’re trying to do something clever that we’ve not rehearsed. But given that it isn’t an enormous chunk of lap time and speed at that circuit, we felt actually it would be better to give George the clear air [and] Kimi just gets out the way.

“That’s probably George’s best chance of getting a good exit and a good braking, because ultimately you can’t follow with these cars at two tenths. So the way that a Ferrari would have got past him would have been if it made a lot of ground coming out of the final corner or went very, very deep on the brakes.”

Shovlin praises Russell’s defence

Shovlin praised Russell for defending through the closing laps to secure Mercedes’ double podium. The result also moved Russell to second in the drivers’ championship, level on points with Hamilton but ahead on wins countback.

“It’s honestly a really impressive effort by George. You wouldn’t have given him maybe even 50-50 odds of holding both of them back. There’s a good chance that one of them was going to get through,” Shovlin said.

“Maybe we’re a bit lucky with that VSC that just took the heat out of it for a lap or two and he was able to manage his energy levels.”

08/28/2026
James Vowles Addresses Alex Albon–Carlos Sainz Collision at Dutch GP

Williams team principal James Vowles says the team must accept part of the blame for the late-race collision between Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz at the Dutch Grand Prix.

During a chaotic race at Zandvoort, won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, the two Williams drivers collided while fighting outside the points-paying positions.

Williams accepts responsibility for Albon and Sainz crash

Speaking in the team’s post-race video debrief, The Vowles Verdict, the Williams boss addressed the incident.

“As you saw, Alex and Carlos came together on track,” Vowles explained. “There’s a lot of questions around whose fault it is, whose isn’t it? I’ll start with this. I think with our two drivers, both have a responsibility to not hit each other.

“It’s hard to do it as a majority to one or the other, but both have a culpability in that. This particular circumstance, actually, I think we as a team have a culpability.”

According to Vowles, the team’s decision to leave Sainz on worn tyres during the virtual safety car period contributed to the situation.

“We tried leaving Carlos out at that VSC. The reason why was because had we stopped, he would have been behind Alex and Franco anyway. So you’re back net to where you would have been before, without the pace to be able to overtake them.

“But that said, this also put our cars into a situation where they were fighting tooth and nail for no points on track. That’s not a situation we should be putting them in either.”

Albon retired from the race after the collision, while Sainz continued to finish 16th.

Sainz received a 10-second penalty for the incident, which he described as “fair” after the race.

“Fair penalty. I had a bit of a surprise when I went to defend,” the Spaniard explained. “I had really worn hard tyres, struggling a lot with the car, with the pace of the race. “And when I went to brake on the inside, there was a massive bump on the inside of Turn 1. When you are further in the inside, the bigger it gets. I just hit with the plank. “I had the front tyres in the air. And as soon as I touched the brake, I locked up and I took Alex with me, which is the worst possible outcome for that race, because it’s not like we were fighting for anything big. But honestly, it caught me so much by surprise. Apologies to him, because it’s the last thing I wanted.”

08/28/2026
Aston Martin Warns of Tougher Formula 1 Races Ahead

Mike Krack says Fernando Alonso’s ninth-place finish at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix was helped by Zandvoort’s track characteristics, while Aston Martin continues to unlock the full potential of its upgraded AMR26.

After qualifying 18th, Alonso used an opportunistic one-stop strategy to claim an unexpected ninth place, finishing ahead of a frustrated Pierre Gasly.

Zandvoort suited Aston Martin’s cornering performance

Most drivers made two pit stops, but Aston Martin needed to adopt an out-of-sync strategy to benefit from the AMR26’s speed through the corners. The Honda-powered car recovered the time it lost on the straights by performing strongly in the circuit’s slower sections.

Asked whether Aston Martin’s race pace was stronger than its qualifying pace, the team’s chief trackside officer agreed, while warning that less favourable circuits such as Monza and Baku were next on the calendar. Both venues feature some of Formula 1’s longest straights.

“Since Budapest we know that we’re a bit stronger in the race,” Krack said. “I think Fernando said today our result will depend more or less on how long the straights are.

“So these were now two races where the straights were a bit on the short side. So we will have tougher races to come, but I think that this is part of the game. You have races where you’re strong, and you have races where you’re less strong. So it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season goes.”

Mike Krack, Chief Trackside Officer of Aston Martin F1 Team
Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images

Aston Martin still learning how to use its upgrades

Aston Martin recorded the second-lowest straight-line speed during qualifying at Zandvoort, reaching 309.5km/h. That was significantly slower than Alpine’s 331.7km/h and only marginally faster than Cadillac’s 309.4km/h.

The deficit came despite the arrival of Honda’s long-awaited power unit upgrade, which was expected to deliver a substantial performance improvement after the car suffered severe problems earlier in the season. However, the team has made visible progress with the chassis, as demonstrated again in the Netherlands.

“We get to know this package more and more,” Krack said. “With the large package that we introduced in Budapest, it will take some sessions to learn how to deal with it and to learn how to set it up. And the same goes actually also for the introduction of the power unit now.

“We need to learn how to use it, we need to learn how to optimise it, and I think it’s going to take us a couple of events, but it was a good step forward.

Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll both made positive comments over the team radio during the weekend. Krack said those remarks reflected Aston Martin’s growing understanding of its latest package, while acknowledging that the team could not extract its maximum performance in every session.

“It goes along with what I said in terms of trying to understand the package. If you have changes at this large scale, with the intensity of the sessions, it’s always difficult to get the maximum out of it all the time. And the more sessions we get, the more we will get it under control.

“But there will always be sessions where you will have a bit more difficulties, some others where it will be easier, and we had quite a good configuration this weekend.”

08/28/2026
The Numbers Behind Lando Norris’ “pretty insane” Claim About McLaren’s F1 Development

Lando Norris has reignited his Formula 1 championship hopes by winning the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, a year after his title ambitions appeared to go up in smoke at the same circuit.

Norris’ victory, following his earlier win in Budapest, was his second consecutive triumph as reigning world champion. More significantly, it gave him valuable momentum after last year’s DNF at Zandvoort.

His result reduced his championship deficit to 83 points. By comparison, Max Verstappen was 104 points behind then-leader Oscar Piastri after last year’s Dutch Grand Prix. Verstappen ultimately missed out on the title by just two points, explaining why Norris immediately told his team over the radio:

“The fight is still on.”

McLaren development delivers major gains

Norris’ recent victories highlight the progress McLaren has made during the season. The Woking-based team has led Formula 1’s development race in recent years, and its performance under the latest regulations suggests that trend is continuing.

“I think we’ve easily done the best job when you look at everything from where we were last year,” Norris said after claiming his 13th F1 victory at Zandvoort.

“We were always going to start behind this season because of how much we focused on last year. It was inevitable that we were not going to start on the pace this season.

“But for us to catch up, you know, we’ve outdeveloped them. You’re saying on a track like this, almost a second of development from us as McLaren versus our competitors. So that’s pretty insane, and I think that’s the reason why we’ve also come on pretty strong.”

Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Race-pace data calculated by data partner Paceteq supports Norris’ assessment. At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, McLaren was an average of 1.34 seconds per lap slower than the Mercedes works team.

McLaren’s performance then fluctuated. Neither McLaren driver was able to start in China, while Oscar Piastri was unexpectedly quick in Japan. The team’s first major upgrade package arrived in Miami, after which its deficit exceeded one second per lap only in Canada, at 1.10 seconds, and Monaco, at 1.67 seconds.

Norris attributed those losses to McLaren being:

“shockingly bad”

in slow-speed corners.

Norris credits his own progress for Zandvoort win

After Norris’ victory, Mercedes suggested that McLaren had become Formula 1’s team to beat. Kimi Antonelli said Mercedes no longer had the fastest car, while team principal Toto Wolff indicated that the budget cap left limited scope for further upgrades.

Norris rejected the suggestion that McLaren was now clearly the fastest team:

“Well, they’re not going to say themselves, are they?” the reigning world champion smiled.

“So, yeah, they’re not going to say themselves. They’re [still] the team to beat even if they just got beaten today, so I don’t think it’s true.”

Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

The McLaren driver also said his own performance played an important role in the Zandvoort result, particularly his decisive overtakes on Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton.

“I think if I didn’t get Kimi when I overtook him, I don’t think I would have won the race today. You know, it’s hard to say, but I also know how good of a job I’m doing behind the wheel.

“And of course I’m never one to overtalk about myself, normally always the complete opposite. But for once I would give myself a little bit of credit that I feel like I’m doing a better job than everyone, and I think that can also make a difference.”

The combination of Norris’ current form and McLaren’s development trajectory has kept his hopes of defending the world title alive, although he accepts that a significant gap remains.

“I’m still [more than] 80 points behind, so I wouldn’t say it’s that close. But I do think it’s close,” he insisted.

“It’s relatively close for a new regulation, that’s for sure. It’s definitely closer than what previous years have been with new regulations.”

08/28/2026
Alex Albon Explains Why Williams Cannot Afford Team-Mate Secrets in F1

Alex Albon has explained why he and Williams teammate Carlos Sainz share setup information rather than keeping performance gains secret on their respective sides of the garage.

Williams has endured a difficult 2026 Formula 1 season. The Grove-based team is ninth in the constructors’ championship with 11 points, while Sainz and Albon sit 16th and 17th in the drivers’ standings with six and five points respectively.

Although teammates naturally compete against each other, Albon believes the current limitations of the Williams car make collaboration essential. Speaking on The Fast And The Curious podcast after the Dutch Grand Prix, he explained that drivers at other teams may withhold useful information to gain an advantage, but said that approach would not benefit Williams.

“What happens in some teams, and I know this, is that you will find something on your car, but it won’t be something the other car can’t find,” Albon explained. “It could be a line into a corner, it could be a gear choice, it could be a set-up direction, it could be the way that we implement the electronic system into the car.

You could find something good, but you just won’t mention it. You can keep it quiet to your side of the garage.

Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon, Williams. Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 / Getty Images

“Realistically, for us, at least I don’t do it, so maybe Carlos does it, I don’t know,” he laughed. “But because of the limitations of our car, we kind of work together on it.

“It’s almost like we both have the same feedback with the same problems, and then we can split the cars,” he said. “One car might go, ‘Yes, this is working,’ so the other car joins onto that. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, this works, and this works, so we’ll take a bit of both.’ You kind of chop and change sometimes.

“Oh, this is the wrong way, so now the other car’s gone the other way, so now it’s that way. But there is a balance.

“I remember that happened a lot more when you have two rookie drivers and you’re kind of fighting for the same [position]. You can imagine it becomes a little bit more [elbows out],” Albon added.

08/28/2026
Carlos Sainz Denies Audi F1 Talks for 2027: ‘I never considered leaving Williams’

Carlos Sainz says he never considered leaving Williams despite the team’s difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Spaniard signed a new contract alongside team-mate Alexander Albon last week, committing his future to the Grove-based team.

Williams, a nine-time constructors’ championship winner, has struggled so far this season. The FW48 has slipped down the competitive order and failed to score points in the last six races. The downturn had led team principal James Vowles to question whether he could retain his current driver line-up.

Sainz dismisses Audi links

Sainz held discussions with Williams and the future Audi team after losing his Ferrari seat ahead of the 2025 season, eventually choosing the Grove-based outfit. Two years later, reports linked him with a potential move to Audi for 2027, although there was no clear vacancy at the Hinwil-based team.

However, Sainz told Motorsport.com that he had not seriously considered such a move.

“No, it was just the usual paddock rumours,” he said in our exclusive interview. “I can confirm that this year I never seriously considered going anywhere else.”

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team, Carlos Sainz, Williams

Unlike Albon, who has committed to Williams for 2027 only, Sainz signed a “multi-year contract”. The wording suggests the agreement runs at least until 2028, although such language is also commonly used for contracts containing options for subsequent seasons.

Why Sainz stayed with Williams

Asked whether the new agreement meant he was no longer available to Formula 1’s leading teams, Sainz gave an indirect response.

“The usual process is that, before signing a contract, you always assess the overall situation,” he said. “But when we put everything on the table, another aspect emerged that is very important to me: I’ve never liked leaving a team when it’s going through a difficult period.

“It’s not in my character to go somewhere else if the situation has become worse since I joined the team. When I committed to the Williams project, I knew there could be difficult moments and, even though the one we’re going through now is particularly tough, I’m ready to accept it.

“Nobody in the team is happy with the current situation, and we’re all pushing to change it as quickly as possible. But, as I said, it’s not in my nature to abandon ship when things get tough.”

08/28/2026
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Dutch GP Race Suit Up for Charity Auction

Red Bull is auctioning a special-edition Max Verstappen race suit worn during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Wings for Life charity.

Max Verstappen Dutch GP race suit auction

Hosted by F1 Authentics, the auction gives collectors the chance to acquire the race suit worn by the four-time world champion at his final home grand prix at Zandvoort. The winning bidder will receive the suit professionally framed and signed by Verstappen.

Verstappen entered the Dutch Grand Prix weekend after signing a contract extension that will keep him at Red Bull until the end of 2030. He scored three points in the sprint race but crashed out of the grand prix on the opening lap.

The Dutchman is an official ambassador for Wings for Life. The charitable foundation was established in 2004 by the late Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz and two-time motocross champion Heinz Kinigadner.

Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies, who is also a Wings for Life ambassador, explained:

“Following Max’s contract extension with the team, we’re proud to be auctioning one of his special edition Dutch GP race suits in aid of our team charity, Wings for Life.

“This special suit, signed by Max, was designed for what was expected to be his last home race in Zandvoort, as the Dutch GP leaves the F1 calendar. In collaboration with the F1 Authentics auction platform, collectors can bid to own this very notable piece of history.

“With 100% of the auction proceeds going directly to Wings for Life, we can transform a rare piece of racing memorabilia into meaningful research to find a cure for spinal cord injury.”

The auction is running online at F1 Authentics until Sunday 30 August. At the time of writing, the highest bid is £37,500.

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Alex Albon Opens Up About Burnout Amid Growing Formula 1 Demands

Alex Albon has revealed that the demands of Formula 1’s expanding championship calendar and relentless commercial schedule left him suffering from severe burnout during the 2025 season.

The Williams driver spoke about the difficulty of balancing racing with off-track commitments from Monaco, days after retiring early from the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

Albon reveals impact of F1’s commercial demands

Appearing on The Fast And The Curious podcast, Albon said his additional responsibilities, particularly around races in the United States, had taken a significant toll on him the previous year.

“I find myself so drained, especially when we go towards our American races because that’s clearly where we’re more in demand, whether it’s through partners or content, whatever it may be,” Albon explained when asked how he manages his commitments as an introvert in a championship that attracts more attention than ever.

“I’m happy to be my authentic self in these situations, but at the same time, I don’t know what it is, it just drains me. And so for me to get away, prioritising myself and spending maybe one or two nights back at home and then flying off again or whatever it may be, I put much more attention on that. I felt like I got burnt out last year quite badly.”

How Albon recovered after Dutch Grand Prix retirement

Albon said he adopted a deliberately quiet routine to recover after his retirement at Zandvoort.

“Yesterday was literally… What did we do? Nothing. We woke up, we got brunch with Carlos. We literally came back, did nothing. Went for dinner, came back and watched more of nothing and then went to bed early.

“Today is kind of a little bit like that, very normal, sitting on the couch doing your house chores, cleaning up the apartment. After this we’re just going to do some food shopping.”

Alexander Albon, Williams
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Even during race weekends, Albon said it was important to escape the “melting pot” of the Formula 1 paddock. He sometimes travels 30 minutes from the circuit to find quieter restaurants, while noting that fans have consistently respected his privacy when he has gone out for dinner.

“It’s no fun to be stuck in a hotel room all day,” he added. “Even if I’m introverted, I still find myself needing to get out there, just going for a walk or grabbing coffee.”

08/27/2026
Mercedes ‘have got a problem’ if McLaren’s form continues, says Alex Brundle

McLaren’s Monza Form Could Give Mercedes “a problem on their hands”, Warns Alex Brundle

Alex Brundle has warned that Mercedes could face a major threat if McLaren carries its race-winning Dutch Grand Prix pace into Monza and the remaining races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Lando Norris claimed his second consecutive victory of the season at Zandvoort. Benefiting from McLaren’s latest car upgrades, the 2025 champion navigated a chaotic race to beat Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

Norris extended his championship lead by finishing 11.5 seconds ahead of Antonelli, but Brundle believes the characteristics of the upcoming circuits will determine whether McLaren’s performance improvement represents a sustained challenge to Mercedes.

“You’ve got to say, though, we’re coming off a pair of circuits that are less energetically starved in the way that we saw Mercedes dominate at Silverstone and be really strong at Spa,” Brundle told F1 TV.

“There are going to be those circuits coming, and that effect hasn’t gone away. It’s going to be interesting to see how this McLaren form, for example, rolls on into Monza. If it’s the same there, then I think Mercedes have got a problem on their hands.”

Palmer backs Mercedes to respond with Baku upgrade

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer does not believe Mercedes will be overly concerned by Norris’s late title challenge, with the team reportedly expecting a significant upgrade package for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

“Inevitably, the field was going to close up from Melbourne, and it has done with Ferrari, with McLaren, with Red Bull as well bringing upgrades,” Palmer explained.

“Mercedes hit back, didn’t they, in Canada where they moved again further away from the field. That was their only real big hit of upgrades. So, I’m hearing Baku is going to be their big chance.

“Obviously, Monza is such an outlier of a circuit that might suit them. Then we go to Madrid, which is a complete unknown for everybody. So, Baku is the one that they’ve targeted.

“I don’t think they’re going to be losing sleep over Lando right now. He seems like he’s too far away. And when you look at Kimi still putting in the performances very consistently, I would say it’s such a long shot for Norris.

“But for me, I think you could argue he’s the driver of the season. He’s put in so many top, top drives and now he has the car that he didn’t have earlier on, and he’s just smashing out the wins.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Lando Norris Announces New Prime Video Docuseries With “More Access Than Ever Before”

Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris will star in a new three-part documentary series for Prime Video, scheduled to premiere in 2027.

The series, currently titled Lando, is being produced by Box to Box Films, the London-based company behind Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive.

Lando documentary to focus on Norris away from F1

Although the documentary will follow Norris during his 2026 campaign as he defends his maiden drivers’ championship, its central focus will be his life away from the circuit. The official synopsis promises “unprecedented access to a more personal side of his life”.

The synopsis continued: “From the moment Lando first gripped a karting wheel in Bristol, racing represented pure, exhilarating joy. Inspired by his idols, including the legendary Valentino Rossi, he quickly climbed the ranks — driven not just by ambition but by a relentless pursuit of fun and authenticity, and a fierce determination to win.

“But what does life really look like when you’re at the pinnacle of your sport at just 26 years old? With unprecedented access to his life over the course of the summer – leading up to his 27th birthday – this docuseries gives an authentic insight into Lando’s world: from the antics of a holiday with his friends, to more personal and quieter moments with his family; to the highs of winning his first GP of the season; from the profile that comes with being one of the biggest names in global sport to the moments of quiet reflection.”

Ben Phethean is directing the docuseries, with Clare Little serving as producer. Tom Keeling, Warren Smith and Jon Smith are executive producers for Box to Box Films.

“I’m really excited to be doing this with Prime Video,” the 26-year-old said. “We’ve been filming for a while already and I’ve had a lot of fun with it.”

Norris is already familiar with having his life documented. Alongside his appearances on Drive to Survive, the McLaren driver has offered behind-the-scenes footage through his own YouTube vlog series, LandoLOG.

However, Norris said the Prime Video documentary would offer a deeper view of his everyday life away from Formula 1.

“I already share a lot of what I get up to, but this is going to give people more access than ever before to my life away from racing,” Norris added. “I’ve been really involved in the whole thing, so hopefully people will enjoy seeing more of what goes on behind the scenes. I’m looking forward to people seeing it next year!”

08/27/2026