George Russell underlined his impressive consistency by claiming his third sprint victory of the year in Zandvoort. The Mercedes driver, who had taken a surprisingly dominant third sprint pole of the season on Friday, confidently held his lead at the start, keeping Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and reigning world champion Lando Norris (McLaren) at bay.
The only real highlight on the overtaking-unfriendly dune circuit came late, as Leclerc launched a decisive attack on Norris in the closing laps. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) extended his overall lead after overtaking Oscar Piastri at
Local hero Max Verstappen, who had signed a Red Bull contract extension through 2030 on Thursday, could only salvage sixth place, with his home race not going to plan so far.
The sprint was a nightmare for Nico Hülkenberg: an engine issue on his Audi forced him to wave rivals past one by one, dropping him to 21st before his team ordered him over the radio on lap six: “Switch the car off.” Hülkenberg did briefly return to the track before the end.
The sprint began in dry conditions, with almost the entire field on medium tyres – only Leclerc and Haas’ Oliver Bearman opted for the softer compound. Sunday hosts what is, for now, the final Zandvoort Grand Prix (15:00, RTL/Sky) – the traditional circuit will drop off the calendar from next season.
