Mercedes’ George Russell converts pole to his third Sprint Race win of the season at the 2026 F1 Dutch GP, full report below.
Returning from the summer break, championship leader Kimi Antonelli got his weekend off to a solid start in FP1 by topping the sole practice session of the weekend, with Lando Norris and George Russell finishing closely behind. Although Antonelli had the upper hand in FP1, it was ultimately Russell’s day as the Briton stormed to his third sprint pole of the season, narrowly beating Norris and Charles Leclerc to the top in a tightly contested session.
Having qualified towards the back of the grid, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz were set to start from the pit lane after making overnight setup changes to their suspension. The Spaniards were due to start the Sprint Race from P22 and P18, respectively.
Lights out for the penultimate Sprint Race of the season!
Ahead of the race start, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda were among several drivers to be investigated after the race for failing to follow the race director’s instructions. As the formation lap got underway, however, Cadillac mechanics hurried Sergio Perez down the pit lane for an unidentified reason.
At lights out, it was a steady launch off the line for Russell as Norris sensibly slotted in behind. Behind them, Oscar Piastri lost a position to Antonelli as the Italian looked to chase down Leclerc. However, out in front, a dream getaway for Russell saw the Mercedes driver pull an immediate gap from Norris.
Further down the field, Franco Colapinto launched a lunge down the inside of Lawson, forcing the New Zealander to defend against the Argentine. Fortunately for Perez, the Cadillac driver managed to join the race on Lap 3. As it stood, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Antonelli and Piastri completed the top five.
Hülkenberg pits to retire his Audi
On Lap 7, Nico Hülkenberg pitted to retire his Audi as he marked the first retirement of the race. Among the top five drivers, Leclerc was the only frontrunner on the soft tyres, while the rest opted for a set of mediums.
Russell managed to pull a 1.7 second gap to Norris, who was under pressure in P2. Despite reporting a loss of rear grip, the reigning World Champion continued to fend off Leclerc and Antonelli. In the midfield, Verstappen started to chase Piastri down for P5. Misfortunes continued for Williams and Sainz who boxed to retire their car. The Spaniard marked the second retirement of the race.
Lurking in Norris’ mirrors, Leclerc remained stuck behind the McLaren. However, on Lap 18, the Monegasque driver sailed past Norris as the pair headed down to Turn 1 to take P2.
Russell controls race from lights-to-flag
With three laps remaining, several teams and drivers reported mixed opinions on the weather, with some expecting rain to hit while others believed it would remain dry. The fight for P3 continued as Antonelli managed to close in on Norris.
However, out in front, Russell crossed the line to claim his third Sprint win of the season as rain began to pour down around the circuit. Leclerc and Norris completed the podium.
