George Russell controls Dutch GP sprint as Mercedes seals dominant win

Russell converts pole into a controlled victory

George Russell delivered a commanding performance at Zandvoort, leading every lap of the Dutch Grand Prix sprint to claim his third Saturday victory of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign. The Mercedes driver held off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris in a dry, largely processional race.

At the start, Russell made a clean getaway and kept Norris behind. Antonelli, however, immediately recovered one position with a sweeping move around the outside of Piastri at Turn 1. The Mercedes youngster then applied pressure to Leclerc, who was the only driver in the leading group to start on soft tyres rather than mediums.

Zandvoort’s overtaking problem shapes the race

The race changed on lap 10, when Mercedes gave Russell permission to push harder. He immediately opened a two-second gap to Norris, who began to struggle with his rear tyres.

“I’ve got no rear,” Norris reported over team radio, leaving the reigning world champion under constant pressure from the Ferrari behind. Leclerc eventually completed the decisive move down the inside of Norris at Turn 1 on lap 18. The Ferrari then pulled clear, while Norris had to defend third place from Antonelli.

That defence held. Norris stayed inside the white lines and finished third, just 0.4 seconds ahead of Antonelli. Russell crossed the line 1.4 seconds clear of Leclerc, who secured his third sprint podium of the 2026 season.

Piastri finished fifth, with Max Verstappen only 0.3 seconds behind in sixth in front of his home crowd. Lewis Hamilton took seventh for Ferrari, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completed the points positions in eighth.