Image courtesy of Formula 1
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS – Oscar Piastri added another victory to his tally in an action-packed Dutch Grand Prix, while McLaren teammate Lando Norris was forced to retire late after running second for much of the race. Max Verstappen secured the runner-up spot in front of his home crowd, and Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar delivered a standout drive, turning a P4 start into his first F1 podium in third. The weekend also featured F1 Academy in their fifth round of the championship.
F1 Academy
After a two-month hiatus, F1 Academy returned at Zandvoort for Round 5 of 7 in the 2025 season. In Race 1, reverse-grid polesitter Nina Gademan delivered an emotional maiden victory in front of her home crowd. She dominated the race from start to finish, maneuvering a Safety Car restart, earning redemption after her late heartbreak in Shanghai’s season opener. Behind her, Lia Block held firm under pressure to secure her first F1 Academy podium in second, while Maya Weug charged from eighth on the grid to claim her fifth podium of the season in third.
Race 2 marked Weug’s redemption, as she dominated from lights to flag and cut into Doriane Pin’s lead in the drivers’ championship. Ella Lloyd initially crossed the line second but was dropped to fourth after receiving a five-second penalty for a false start. That promoted Alisha Palmowski to second and Pin to third, ensuring both claimed podium finishes.
The series now heads to Singapore for Round 6, set for October 3–5.
Formula 1
Oscar Piastri took victory at the dramatic Dutch Grand Prix, where McLaren teammate Lando Norris retired from the race due to a mechanical failure in the closing stages. This result marks a potentially crucial moment in the drivers’ championship battle.
Piastri had a strong start from pole when the race began, building a lead from Max Verstappen after he overtook Lando Norris in Lap 1. Regardless, Norris went on to retake second later as the McLaren duo held first and second for a majority of the race.
In Lap 23, a Safety Car was deployed due to an unfortunate error from Lewis Hamilton, hitting the barriers and retiring. Norris continued his chase of his teammate from there, despite a second Safety Car after a collision between Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli that put the Ferrari out of the race. However, with just a few laps to go, Norris reported smoke and fire from his car, forcing him to retire at the side of the track. A final Safety Car was deployed which saw Piastri hold on to P1 until the chequered flag, his seventh Grand Prix win of the season.
Verstappen followed in second, while Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar converted an impressive P4 on the grid to third place, marking a maiden F1 podium for the rookie.
