F1 Grand Prix, GP Netherlands, Circuit Park Zandvoort

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri secured his ninth career victory at Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix to extend his championship lead from his team-mate Lando Norris. F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo delivers drivers’ reaction from the Zandvoort race.

McLaren

"I'm really pleased to come away with the win. I felt in control throughout the race and was able to push and save where I needed to. However, it was incredibly unfortunate for Lando as you never want to see your teammate DNF, or gain points in that way.

"I am very satisfied with the job we've done and all of the work to ensure we could maximise everything around here, improving everywhere. Thank you to the team for their work. We've still got a long way to go."

"It's a shame to have ended the race like that today, but it was out of my control and there's nothing I could have done differently. I was having a good race until that point.

To have been that close to the car ahead throughout the race isn't easy at Zandvoort, so I'm pleased with my performance. My focus switches straight to Monza. Congrats to Oscar and the team on the win, and congratulations to Isack [Hadjar] on his first podium."

Red Bull

“For me today, the highlight of the race was the first half when I was trying to get a spot and overtake. It was good to initially get the overtake but after Lando passed me again, I knew we had to manage our tyres and our pace for the rest of the race and keep everyone behind.

"The car did snap a bit on the first lap and I felt like I was doing a bit of drifting as there was a lot of sand on turn two. Qualifying was a big step forward for us, but today it was a bit more difficult as we were struggling on the long runs and it was more of a fight behind me. We got lucky with P2 as we couldn’t match the pace of the McLarens in the race and were struggling with the tyre behaviour and grip in the low speed.

"Despite this, I’m very happy for Isack to get his first podium: he had a fantastic weekend and good lap times and coming in as a rookie is always hard and he has done really well.”

“It was a crazy race, I had a big issue in the last stint where I lost power in the car. It was a difficult race to manage, the safety cars happened at horrible times for me and then we had the issue, so it was a tricky race. I stayed focused and just tried to adapt with the issue and try to get into the points which we did. Ultimately I'm happy with P9 and it's good to be back into the points which gives me confidence.

"The last three races the Team have given me a lot to increase performance in the car and this is a step in the right direction. Also, a massive congratulations to Isack and his team as I know what this result means to them."

Racing Bulls

"This is what I’ve always dreamed of, and it feels incredible, I’m absolutely over the moon. The team has worked so hard to get us here today, and I couldn’t be prouder. I didn’t expect today’s result, but achieving one of my dreams makes it even more special. It was a tough race physically, especially after the break.

"I had a tricky start, but we did this on pure pace and merit. I knew I had to nail the final safety car restart, so I defended as hard as I could and brought it home. The battles were intense, especially in the opening laps, with the pressure from other cars, but we held strong.

"There are so many people to thank, from my family to the Red Bull family. I hope we can carry this momentum into next week and keep scoring points.”

“I'm super happy for the team. Isack drove a great race and to be on the podium is exceptional. The team have been working very hard and it's so well deserved. As for my race, I'm really disappointed that the incident took place.

"The stewards decision echoes the rule book and unfortunately Carlos wasn't ahead of me at the apex and the contact ruined both of our races. That being said, the podium result shows the potential of the car, which is very positive as we head to Monza next weekend."

Mercedes

George Russell, 4th
"Today was a tough race for us. After the contact with Charles (Leclerc), I picked up a lot of floor damage. The chicane is not a place you see many people overtake because the racing line naturally takes you towards the apex and the gravel.

"It was an optimistic move, and the contact effectively brought my race in terms of fighting for the podium to the finish. I was losing close to half-a-second a lap after that so to finish P4 was probably better than expected.

"With all that said, we didn’t have the strongest performance this weekend and a podium would have been unlikely. Isack (Hadjar) ran a great race, and he completely deserves this podium. P4 is not where we want to be, but we can be happy that we gained points on Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship. Onwards to Monza."

"The outcome of today’s race was such a shame. Our pace was really strong, and I was feeling great in the car. Despite starting P11, I’d gained several positions and was looking ahead to see if we could get ourselves into the fight for the podium. We certainly would have achieved a good result if it were not for the incident with Leclerc.

"As we closed on Charles, we saw an opportunity to try the undercut. We gained time by doing so and we emerged almost together on track. I tried to keep it tight into Turn 3 as he came out but unfortunately, even though the oversteer from my side was not that massive, I could not avoid contact as he was coming down the banking. Sorry to Charles and Ferrari as it never feels good to take someone out and end their race like this.

"I am now looking forward to Monza, my second home race. Single lap work is my priority as obviously starting at the front for each Grand Prix would be more beneficial for us. The positive we can take from Zandvoort is that our pace was strong so we will continue to work hard and I am sure the results will come soon."

Ferrari

Charles Leclerc, DNF

"Today hurts. It was a difficult weekend all along, and it ended in the worst way. In terms of pace, we were quite strong, which was a positive turn of events, and it was good to gain some positions.

"Heading to Monza now, which is a special place for me and the whole team. I don’t think we are in the same position as last year, but we will give it everything to recover and make it a great weekend for all our tifosi at home."

Lewis Hamilton, DNF

"I felt comfortable in the car and the pace was encouraging, but unfortunately I lost the rear under braking into Turn 3. It was a sudden snap and with the damp patch on the paint outside, I couldn’t avoid the wall.

"While it’s disappointing, there are many positives to take from the weekend and the team has worked really hard throughout. I want to apologise to everyone in the team and to the tifosi, both here at the track and at home — we had hoped to bring home more points today."

Williams

"I think today was a perfect race. We had a really strong start and then there was a lot of crashes that helped us. I don't know why there was so much chaos, but we kept it clean and had a good race. We were hoping for rain, and in terms of race strategy it didn't look like it was going to be a fun race at all, but I think we made it for ourselves with that strong start.

"By being P10 by Lap 1, it put us in contention for the rest of the race. We kept it on track and picked up the pieces of what went on around us and got that P5. I'm happy to get some good points especially because with Isack finishing P3, it is important for the championship."

"It’s tough coming back after the summer break to another race like this. I’ve been on form all weekend so to be involved in such an incident, that ultimately ruined my race and cost points for the team is incredibly frustrating. I was on the outside trying to put Liam off-line for the upcoming corners, but there was plenty of space and I didn’t do anything strange.

"The penalty, as far as I’m concerned, is inexplicable. We’ll review it with the stewards to understand how this decision was reached. Monza is around the corner, so we’ll regroup, keep focused and keep pushing."

Haas

Esteban Ocon, 10th
“It’s very positive as a team to get double points. I got a bit unlucky with the second safety car and maybe lost three or four positions but overall, it’s very satisfying and well done to Ollie, it’s big for us.

"We helped ourselves out during the race, we worked together as a team as I gave him DRS and we kept pushing forward together. Well done also to Isack (Hadjar), a fellow Frenchman, for getting his first podium, it’s a day he’ll never forget."

“I wasn’t expecting this, and we definitely got lucky today for sure. Sometimes you need to be in the right place at the right time, and good calls were made on strategy, the car was quick, and the team did a great job.

"We were a bit unlucky as we had to start from the pit lane, but it’s nice to be back in the points with Esteban as well. The team is working incredibly hard, we’re getting there step-by-step, and we still have things to work on, but we’re on the right path.”

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso, 8th

"I think the car had some good pace in the race today and we finished in the points. We were unlucky with the timing of the Safety Cars in the race and we were unable to capitalise.

"We had some battles at the end after the second stop, and I felt faster than some of the cars that finished ahead of us. It was an entertaining race for the fans and let's see if we can have some good action in Monza next week."

"It was a very eventful race today with lots of opportunities and we're happy we were able to finish with both cars in the points. We managed to make up a lot of positions early on in the race with the right strategy calls and an early pit stop after the first stint.

t felt great to bounce back in the race after a frustrating weekend starting from P19 and after the team worked so hard to rebuild the car on Friday and Saturday. We go again next week in Monza, I'm looking forward to go racing there again."

Alpine

“In the end, a very challenging race on many fronts and one where we have just missed out on scoring points as a team. We took a bit of a gamble at the end to keep track position on used Hard tyres and I tried to fight as hard as I could with what I had. It just did not work out even if we battled very hard. So, mixed feelings and sometimes these things work out, sometimes they do not.

"We will learn and move forwards and just try to keep putting ourselves in these positions to compete for points. There were some good battles and it is always more enjoyable when racing is like this. Typically, we lack pace, we are still trying to improve everything we have and we go again in Monza next weekend. It is a place with special memories for me.”

“We were very close to securing some points as a team today. It was a race where we had to be alert and ready to capture any opportunity. It was a fun race, one where I felt I drove well and, at the flag, my best finish of the season. As a team there are some parts of the race we will assess to see what we could have done better.

"We made a call at the end to pit for Softs during the final Safety Car to try and attack cars ahead towards the points. We were very close but just short at the end. There are many positives to take from the weekend. We had an improved performance in Qualifying, I feel more things on my side are coming together and I look forward to returning to Monza next weekend; the venue of my Formula 1 debut last year.”

Kick Sauber

“There’s definitely a feeling of missed opportunity today. We need to review everything in detail, but a lot was going on out there, and the timing of the two Safety Cars really didn’t play into our hands. It gave others a free stop and pushed us further back, which made an already tricky race even more difficult. From there, we were stuck in traffic and making progress was almost impossible.

"It’s frustrating, especially when you see what some of our direct competitors managed to extract from the race. That obviously doesn’t help the mood, given how tight the Constructors’ fight is at the moment.

"Still, setbacks are part of the sport. It’s not the result we wanted, but we’ll analyse everything, reset, and go again in just a few days in Monza."

Gabriel Bortoleto, 15th
“It's been a rather frustrating race for us. I suffered an issue on the clutch at the start, which put me straight to the back – something we will analyse to understand exactly what happened. From there, it was always going to be a tough challenge, but I feel we also missed a couple of opportunities: I had some on-track contacts, which caused damage to my car, as well as being unlucky with the Safety Car timing.

"Congratulations to Isack [Hadjar]: it was nice to see him on the podium. Overall, it hasn't been the easiest of weekends for us, but that’s racing: we’ll review and move on, already looking at Monza in a week's time."