PIASTRI WINS THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX AS HADJAR TAKES MAIDEN PODIUM

Formula One returned from its summer break and arrived in Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix which produced the drama F1 fans had been missing from the previous two races before the break. A race which Oscar Piastri dominated from start to finish leading every lap along the way. Max Verstappen can be happy with a second place at his home Grand Prix, but the good news story of this race will be the Racing Bull of Isack Hadjar who takes his first podium in Formula One, a rookie who many underestimated coming into this season has shown he has what it takes to be at the pinnacle of the motorsport.

It was Championship leader Oscar Piastri who lead into turn one with Max Verstappen fighting for second with Lando Norris who ends up third by the time they get to the banking as Max takes second. Isack Hadjar is fourth and Charles Leclerc is fifth.

By lap eleven Norris makes the move stick on Verstappen to take back second place in this race.

The first of three key moments in this race came just twenty three laps in when the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton loses the rear of his car and crashes out of the race! The Safety Car is deployed, to remove the stricken Ferrari.

We get back to green flag conditions on lap twenty seven. And as we head into turn one on the restart it doesn't come without its drama as the Williams of Carlos Sainz and the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson make contact with both taking damage but not serious enough to have to DNF but both forced to pit and come out dead last in this race.

Sainz is given a ten second penalty for causing a collision which he would later serve in a pit stop.

The race had neutralised before lap fifty four when Leclerc was fighting with Kimi Antonelli who as they go through the banking of turn three make contact sending Lerclec spinning into the wall and taking him out of the race, the first double DNF for Ferrari since Canada last year. This causes the second Safety Car of the race. Lap fifty seven we get going again.

But the drama was done yet as on lap sixty five with the laps counting down the time between the McLaren teammates dwindling, Norris chasing Piastri, Norris begins to smoke as his engine gives up on him at a crucial time not only in the race but also the championship battle.

We get our third and final Safety Car on lap sixty six with the green flag coming out three laps later.

The next race is the Italian Grand Prix.

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