Zandvoort might not be the ideal venue for a sprint format, and Saturday's short race proved it. Not much action, just one meaningful overtake, and plenty of blank faces in the paddock. Yet amid the boredom, George Russell emerged as the winner, converting pole position into his first sprint victory of the season.
The Mercedes driver led from start to finish, finishing 1.3 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc from Ferrari. Meanwhile, Lando Norris had to settle for third after holding off a strong challenge from Kimi Antonelli, who took an impressive fourth.
The only overtake came on lap 18, when Leclerc passed Norris on the main straight. Ferrari's strategy to use soft tyres on the number 16 car—a decision only Oliver Bearman also made—proved spot on. Leclerc managed to save battery through Zandvoort's corners and unleashed it all on the exit of the final turn.
Behind them, Oscar Piastri finished fifth, followed by Max Verstappen, who struggled with his Red Bull in sixth. Lewis Hamilton was again anonymous, only managing seventh, over 12 seconds behind the winner. This is a bad sign for Ferrari, who hoped for more from this sprint to improve their standings.
With this result, Russell strengthens his position at the top of the championship, while Norris and Leclerc continue to chase. Sunday's main race will be decisive, and teams will analyze this sprint's data to find an edge. Will Verstappen bounce back in front of his home crowd? All eyes will be on him.
Read Also
Sprint GP Belanda: Ferrari tampil meyakinkan dengan Leclerc, sementara McLaren cepat di satu lap tapi ban belakang cepat aus. Kualifikasi diprediksi ketat.
Lewis Hamilton terhambat perubahan halus pada mobil Ferrari di sprint Zandvoort. Ia finis P7 dan berharap kembali ke set-up P1 untuk kualifikasi.
Hasil sprint F1 GP Belanda: Leclerc dan Russell jadi pemenang, McLaren kesulitan. Simak analisis lengkap pemenang dan pecundang di Zandvoort.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!