Piastri extends title lead with dramatic Dutch Grand Prix win

Australian – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – Oscar Piastri drove a perfect race to win a thrilling Dutch Grand Prix. The Australian McLaren driver held his lead from start to finish in an eventful race that had three Safety Car periods.

Piastri’s teammate, Lando Norris, saw his own hopes for victory vanish in a heartbreaking moment. While running a strong second, his car suddenly broke down with just a few laps remaining, forcing him to retire.

This misfortune dramatically changed the championship battle. Piastri now leads Norris by a significant 34 points, making him the clear favorite for the title with nine races left in the season.

Local hero Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, much to the delight of his thousands of orange-clad fans. He admitted his car wasn’t the fastest but was happy to be on the podium at his home race.

The feel-good story of the day was Isack Hadjar. The 20-year-old French rookie for Racing Bulls finished an amazing third to score his first-ever Formula 1 podium, becoming one of the youngest drivers ever to do so.

“It feels incredible to control the race and win here,” said a happy Piastri after the race. However, he was careful not to celebrate too early, noting, “There’s still a long way to go. Anything can happen, as we saw today.”

The race began with a burst of action. Verstappen, starting third, made a bold move to overtake Norris at the first corner. He almost lost control of his car on a dirty part of the track but managed to save it in a stunning display of skill.

The McLaren cars proved to be the fastest on the track. Norris didn’t wait long, fighting back to reclaim second place from Verstappen on the ninth lap, setting up a McLaren one-two at the front.

Hasan Nawaz calls Pakistan’s T20 team the best after UAE win

The famous Zandvoort weather played its part. Light rain began to fall, making the track slippery. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was its first victim, sliding off the circuit and crashing his Ferrari into the barriers, ending his race early.

Later, the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc also crashed out after a collision with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. This completed a disastrous weekend with zero points for the Ferrari team.

After the Safety Car periods, Norris was told over the radio, “Let’s go get Oscar.” But passing on the narrow Zandvoort track is famously difficult, and Piastri didn’t make a single mistake under pressure.

Just as the race seemed settled, tragedy struck for Norris. He reported a smell of smoke in his cockpit before his car slowly came to a halt, its engine silent. He could only watch as his chance for vital points disappeared.

This handed Piastri a clear path to victory. He managed the final restart perfectly to hold off Verstappen and claim his seventh win of the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, rookie Isack Hadjar celebrated his third-place finish wildly with his team. “This feels unreal! This has been my dream since I was a kid. I hope this is the first of many podiums for me,” he exclaimed.

The next race is the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Ferrari will hope for a better result in front of their home fans, though this will be harder after Hamilton received a five-place grid penalty for a rules infringement during the Dutch GP weekend.