Multiple Investigations
A total of five drivers have already received an investigation before the sprint. Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, and returnee Tsunoda are said to have each violated a race director’s instruction on the way to the starting grid.
In addition, the already mentioned unsafe release of Bortoleto is being investigated. We do not expect any harsh penalties here, but of course we are keeping an eye on it.
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Stella contradicts Norris
According to Norris, there was no problem with the tires. Team principal Andrea Stella sees it a bit differently. He explains on Sky: “Today in the sprint we saw that tire wear was high, especially on the rear axle.”
“That meant we couldn’t keep up the necessary pace to attack Russell, and at a certain point we noticed with Lando that we were at risk of being overtaken by Leclerc.”
“So we definitely have work ahead of us regarding pace over several consecutive laps and reducing rear tire wear,” said the team principal.
Russell: Luckily rain only at the end
The rain started immediately at the end of the race. Winner George Russell explains: “If there had been one more lap, the race might have ended very differently.”
“So I was glad the rain only started at that time,” said Russell, who also reports: “I knew that if there were any overtaking maneuvers, they would only happen towards the end of the race.”
“That’s why I just wanted to save my tires a bit in the high-speed corners to have a bit more in reserve towards the end of the race,” he explains.
“I knew if Charles could manage to get past Lando at all, he would be fast. As soon as I saw Charles behind me, I pushed hard again, and we both pulled away,” said Russell.
Norris: It wasn’t the tires
The Brit was in P2 for a long time but was overtaken by Charles Leclerc in the second half of the sprint. He sums up: “Not a bad result, but not the best either.”
“It would have been nice to be a bit faster today, but Charles was just too fast,” said Norris, who clarifies that his tires did not fall off.
“I don’t think it was the tires, but simply that we lacked pace. We are not fast enough and still have a lot to do,” said the world champion.
“We are very good at high speeds, but the car simply doesn’t deliver the performance it needs in the slow corners,” he explains.
“It’s still a good result. We have to be satisfied with the progress we’ve made. But we need more,” said Norris.
Sprint Overview
Report
Result
Championship Standings
Photos: F1: Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort) 2026
Open session ticker now!
The drivers are on the grid and the sprint in Zandvoort starts in ten minutes. We are moving the action to our session ticker for now. So there is a short break here, after the finish line it will continue here as usual.
And if you want to know how to watch Formula 1 live this weekend, you can find out here!
Hamilton investigation
Now Hamilton has been caught too. He is said to have violated a race director’s instruction on the way to the starting grid. This will also be investigated after the sprint. The same applies to his old teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Investigation against Audi
Good start for Audi: A possible unsafe release of Bortoleto from the garage was noted. This will be investigated after the sprint. Apart from that, all drivers made it to the starting grid without problems.
Pit lane open
Everything goes a bit faster in the sprint. 30 minutes to go until the start and the pit lane now opens – but only for five minutes. During this time, the drivers must make their way to the starting grid.
Who goes into the sprint on which tires, we will find out as usual only immediately before the start.
Mercedes or McLaren again?
The last six sprints in Formula 1 have all been won either by McLaren or the Mercedes factory team. Will this streak continue today? The chance is not bad, as George Russell and Lando Norris start from the front row.
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Photo gallery: All winners of sprint races in Formula 1
Weather
About an hour to go until the start and we take a quick look at the sky again. The sun is now shining in Zandvoort and the track is of course dry.
Looks like a dry sprint.
Sainz also from the pit lane
Williams has just announced that Carlos Sainz will also start the sprint from the pit lane. His setup was also changed. He thus gives up P18. So only 20 cars will be on the starting grid later.
Alonso starts from the pit lane
A little info already regarding the sprint: Only 21 cars will be on the starting grid there. Aston Martin announces:
“Fernando will start from the pit lane due to some setup changes made overnight. The SLM problem from yesterday has been fixed.”
His straight mode had not worked, which is why he was last in qualifying. Starting from the pit lane therefore makes no big difference.
You can find the starting grid for the sprint here.
Wet track
The F1 Academy qualifying is currently running in Zandvoort. There you can clearly see how wet the track still is. You can watch the entire session live and free here:
Domenicali: Want to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi
It is still unclear whether the Formula 1 season finale can take place as planned. Stefano Domenicali emphasizes to De Telegraaf that they want to stick to the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
“The calendar for this year is set, so it will be Qatar and Abu Dhabi. These events are also sold out, and we plan to go there,” explains the Formula 1 boss.
But of course, that does not mean it cannot change. Ultimately, it depends on how the situation in the region develops. An alternative possible season finale in Imola is being considered.
Different strategies possible?
Based on impressions from Friday, Pirelli believes there could be different strategies in tomorrow’s race. Chief engineer Simone Berra explains: “The different approaches of the teams […] could be an early indication that they are considering different numbers of pit stops.”
Because several teams, including McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari, have saved an extra set of hard tires for the race. “Tire wear will play a crucial role, even though it currently seems to be under control thanks to the low temperatures,” says Berra.
The safety car probability, “which is traditionally high on this track,” could also impact strategy. “In any case, we expect that all three compounds can be used in race strategies on Sunday,” emphasizes Berra.
Livestream
Speaking of video: A quick note in our own matter, because today and tomorrow we will be back in the evening with a big live analysis on the Formel1.de YouTube channel.
It starts today as planned at 9:00 p.m. with our analysis of the sprint and qualifying.
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