The race took place in front of packed grandstands and a sea of orange, with an incredible atmosphere at Zandvoort. Lewis finished the race in second place, after a hard-fought strategic battle with Max Verstappen at the front of the field. Valtteri crossed the line in third place, to make it a double podium finish for the team.
The gap between Max and Lewis fluctuated throughout the race, with the team attempting the undercut twice, but it wasn't enough to get Lewis ahead. Lewis was on a two-stop strategy but pitted for a third time to get the fastest lap, while we tried a one-stop with Valtteri but pitted with five laps to go as a precaution.
Today's result marked Lewis' 175th career podium and Valtteri's 125th points finish in F1. Max (224.5 points) leads the Drivers' Championship by three points from Lewis (221.5 points) with Valtteri (123 points) in P3. Mercedes (344.5 points) lead Red Bull (332.5 points) by 12 points in the Constructors' Championship.
Toto Wolff: Red Bull were faultless out there today so congrats to them and Max on the victory. Whatever we tried on the strategy, it was going to be difficult to compete with them. We tried everything we could, attempted the undercut a few times with Lewis and he was pushing to the maximum, but it wasn't enough. For Valtteri, we put him on the one-stop but towards the end, he was struggling with the tyres, so we stopped him as a precaution as he was getting some vibrations. P2 and P3 is a solid result and good points for us, so now we look to Monza. I'm sure it's going to be another close weekend and an exciting fight. It's a very different track and the Sprint Qualifying format returns, so we could see a bit of a different story. Let's see how it goes.
Andrew Shovlin: Our car wasn't quite quick enough today and we ended up in a situation where we had to push in dirty air to keep up and it was just taking too much out of the tyres. The pace at the front was very quick and the degradation was moving it towards a two stop. We lost a little time on the first stop with Lewis going onto Medium and while Max could cover, our pace seemed a bit better on that tyre and we could close and follow more easily. We didn't have many options by the final stop, we decided to go relatively early, perhaps optimistically hoping they would take a Soft to cover us but they fitted the Hard and it was working well for them so that was that. Valtteri had a straightforward race although perhaps not as exciting as he'd hoped. He managed the one stop well but with a clear window behind, we made a precautionary stop at the end. Overall a solid weekend for him and nice to see him move back into third in the Drivers' championship. With Lewis we managed to grab the extra point for fastest lap, which was a bit of damage limitation, but we didn't have the best car here and need to address that for Monza if we're looking to take back the lead of the Drivers' championship.
Christian Horner, Team Principal: "It was an impeccable race for the Team today. There's a fantastic atmosphere here and I've never seen a reaction like that in my whole career, the fans in Holland are incredible. It was important for Max to get a clean start, his ability to judge and read the grip level is very strong. We knew with the strategic options that Mercedes had that they were going to split the strategy and they did exactly that. It was also crucial for Max to make that pass on Valtteri quickly and then after that, we were able to cover Lewis. The Team did everything they could today to make sure Max had a smooth race and he did everything that he needed. Sergio won driver of the day and he has driven a great race. Not only did he take the penalty, he had a huge flat spot and we had to pit him for safety reasons, so he was in an even more difficult position then. He made great progress through the field, scoring important points for us and improving his confidence after a really tough Saturday. Looking ahead, Monza and Sochi are tracks that Mercedes have a stronghold, we'd expect them to have the upper hand, therefore the next two races are about trying to limit the damage and making sure we extract as much as we can out of the cars. It's going to be really close and this championship looks like it's going to go all the way to Abu Dhabi."
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: "That was a lot of hard work for one point. It was the race we were expecting, given our starting positions and the way we've been struggling for pace this weekend. We gave it our best and didn't leave anything on the table, with the drivers and their crews working very well together to see if we could extract more. In the end, we had to accept there wasn't anything else available. Thanks to Daniel for playing the team game today to try to maximise our points, but unfortunately it didn't pay off this time. Thanks, in fact, to the whole team at the track and back at the factory, plus our colleagues from HPP, for their hard work.
"From a wider perspective, the returning Dutch Grand Prix was a sensational show, with the Dutch fans in the grandstands making it very special. I'm sure it's a highlight for everyone here at the track - but now we have to regroup and reset very quickly, with the aim of striking back in Monza in just a few days' time."
Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal: "On a circuit on which overtaking is extremely difficult, we were unable to make much progress today with either Lance's one-stop strategy or Sebastian's two-stopper. Nonetheless, they both drove well in difficult circumstances. The first Formula One Dutch Grand Prix for 36 years was well organised and efficiently run, and, although there was not a lot of on-track action in terms of overtaking, an excited full-house audience was rewarded with victory for the local hero. Next weekend we will be at Monza, a very different kind of challenge, and a welcome opportunity for us to try to improve on today's performance."
Alpine F1 Team put in a double points finish in an incredible, atmospheric Heineken Dutch Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso finished in sixth position following a breath-taking overtake on Carlos Sainz on the penultimate lap, while Esteban Ocon passed the flag in ninth.
The race got underway in hot, sunny conditions with Fernando getting a flying start to pass Esteban and Antonio Giovinazzi around the top of the banking through Turn 3. The Alpine pair then held station until their sole pit stop, taken on consecutive laps, swapping the Soft Pirelli compound for the Medium.
Fernando and Esteban subsequently managed their tyres and pace to stay comfortably within the top ten. Esteban lost one position to a charging Sergio Perez, who had started down the field, and finished in ninth, his fourth consecutive points-scoring finish. Fernando closed the gap to the Ferrari of Sainz to a wafer-thin margin before sealing the deal with a bold pass in the closing stages of the race.
Alpine F1 Team remains in fifth position in the Constructors' Championship and now heads to Monza aiming to extend its points run even further.
Marcin Budkowski, Executive Director: "In the end it was a pretty exciting race at a circuit where we were expecting it to be difficult to overtake. Both drivers had decent starts, although had a bit of a coming together on the first lap. Fortunately, nothing came out of it and we managed to get past Giovinazzi quickly and put ourselves in a position to manage our tyres to execute a one stop, which we did well. The second part of the race was quite a lot of action and fighting. Esteban lost a position to Checo [Perez] who was on Soft tyres and in a quicker car. Fernando had a beautiful fight with Carlos [Sainz] to get sixth. It's good points in the championship for the team however a strong performance from Pierre [Gasly] and Alpha Tauri means they knock two points off us for fifth position in the Constructors' Championship. The fight will continue in Monza. Congratulations to Max for his win at home in front of an incredible crowd - it's been an exceptional atmosphere all weekend, one we haven't seen for a very long time."
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in fifth and seventh places respectively.
There were no particularly dramatic moments in the race and so, for a long time, the Scuderia Ferrari drivers ran in their grid positions of fifth and sixth. It was only in the final stages that Carlos had to give best to Fernando Alonso who was on softer compound tyres and had better pace. The points haul of 16 is nevertheless a good one, given that the team's closest rival only picked up a single point. The Scuderia has therefore moved back up to third place in the constructors' classification. This coming Friday, the cars will already be back on track for the next round at Monza.
Mattia Binotto, Team Principal: A solid race from the whole team, which allowed us to bring home a significant points haul for the Constructors' classification. We knew that, on a track that is very demanding in terms of tyre management, we could have found ourselves in a situation similar to the one we experienced at the French Grand Prix, but the team and drivers have worked a lot on this aspect and the results of our efforts were clear to see.
Of course, it's not a result to get really excited about and we are perfectly aware that there is still a lot to do to get back to the same level as those currently fighting for the wins.
Now our focus shifts immediately to the next race at Monza.After a great show from the Dutch fans this weekend, we can't wait to be racing in front of our own tifosi and we hope we can give them something to smile about.
Franz Tost (Team Principal): "Firstly, big congratulations to the organisers of this event. It was fantastic to see the fans in the grandstands and their celebrations across the entire weekend, starting from Friday. Likewise, congrats to Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing and Honda, they've dominated this Grand Prix.
From our side, we're also quite satisfied because Pierre did a fantastic job this weekend. The team managed to give him a strong car, even yesterday for Qualifying where he secured P4. He then managed to keep this position all the way to the chequered flag in today's race. It was a very good job by Pierre, so a huge well done to both him and the whole team for this great result. As for Yuki, his car suffered a technical failure on the drivetrain during the race and we had to retire the car. We need to go away and investigate the cause of this issue. We are now looking forward to Monza, after this fantastic event here in Zandvoort."
Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN had a spirited but eventually unlucky day in Zandvoort as Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Kubica finished in 14th and 15th in the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix. It was a result borne not out of lack of trying, as both Antonio and Robert fought from lights to flag, but of circumstances and episodes that didn't play in the team's favour.
On the back of a very positive performance on Saturday - actually the team's best ever qualifying in the hybrid era, with the lead car just 1.02% off the pole - Antonio started in P7 and kept his place in turn one. Unfortunate contacts with Sainz and Alonso in the opening stages resulted in the Alfa driver dropping a few places, but he settled down well into P10 for his first stint. Robert, drafted in just before FP3 to replace Kimi Raikkonen, had a clean start and held position well, engaging in some nice battles, first with Sebastian Vettel and then with Nicholas Latifi, in the course of the race.
Antonio, who ran in the points until his pitstop, saw his race unravel only six laps after his visit to the pits, when a puncture forced him to an early second change of tyres. Rejoining near the back, he was able to make up some places, eventually finishing 14th - one place ahead of team-mate Robert, who made a good pass on Latifi on the final lap to seal the place.
On an emotional weekend for the team, we responded with a spirited performance, with lots of heart. Luck was not on our side, but the way the team got together to counter adversity, with highs such as Antonio's qualifying performance and Robert's gutsy race, are an encouragement for the remainder of the season.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: "It was a day in which luck was not on our side, with a potential good result lost to an unfortunate series of circumstances. Coming on the back of our best qualifying performance since 2014, we were confident we could have a good race. Sadly, Antonio suffered a contact in the opening stages and lost a few positions as a result. His race was further compromised when he had a puncture just a few laps after his pit stop and had to return for a fresh set of tyres: after that, he was good to recover a few places but the top ten remained out of reach. Robert had a good race, with some entertaining battles and his final lap pass on Latifi was a nice way to bring the race to a close. We finish 14th and 15th on a weekend where we would have deserved more."
Uralkali Haas F1 Team driver Mick Schumacher finished 18th while Nikita Mazepin was forced into retirement at Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix, Round 13 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, at Circuit Zandvoort.
Schumacher started from 17th place on Pirelli P Zero Red soft tires but had to cede track position early on after sustaining damage to his front wing. Schumacher came in on lap 4 of 72 for repairs, taking on White hard tires, and then made a second stop on lap 32 for Yellow medium tires. Schumacher stayed out of trouble thereafter to classify 18th and in the process maintain his perfect finishing record since graduating to Formula 1.
Mazepin took the start from 18th place on Yellow medium tires and gained a couple of spots, running 16th, prior to moving on to hard tires. Unfortunately Mazepin's VF-21 suffered a hydraulic issue and he was brought to the pits to retire the car on lap 43.
Up front Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen delivered for the home spectators - the Dutch racer claiming his seventh win of the season ahead of the Mercedes pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Uralkali Haas F1 Team will return to action at the Italian Grand Prix - the third and final race of the current triple-header hosted at Autodromo Nazionale Monza from September 10 to 12.
Guenther Steiner: "Obviously it was unfortunate that Nikita's car had to stop with a hydraulic issue so he couldn't get to the end. I think once both of our cars got into the running it was respectable what was done. Obviously, we had the contact between the two of them at the beginning of the race. We all sat down afterwards, and my aim now is to work on it and we'll sort these problems out for the future."
Nicholas Latifi finished 16th in the Dutch Grand Prix, whilst George Russell was forced to retire the car due to a suspected gearbox issue. George started 11th and Nicholas from the pit lane, both on the medium Pirelli tyre.
Nicholas ran a one stop-race, switching to the hard compound on lap 23. George made one planned stop on lap 27, also for the hard tyre, before retiring the car on lap 70.
Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance: Although the result today was a little frustrating, the pace of the car this week has been good and the way we approached the event at a new circuit was effective and enjoyable.
George got a good start today but couldn't capitalise fully due to the Alpine cars ahead fighting with each other. He was able to hold his position throughout the opening stint before getting ahead of Giovinazzi when he had to stop again. The McLarens pulled off a good team manoeuvre on us, which allowed Norris to get ahead and at that point we were destined to finish 12th on the track, ahead of both Aston Martins. However, a five second penalty for a pit lane speeding offence and then a gearbox issue, which we need to investigate, meant that we finished 18th.
Nicholas started the race from the pit lane following his heavy crash yesterday and a change to a different front wing. His pace was strong, but he was able to make some overtakes and looked like he would finish quite close to George. Towards the end of the race his pace dropped off as he lost tyre temperature when letting the leaders through and this made the last few laps very difficult.
It has been a great experience to visit Zandvoort and to see the passion and energy of the local fans. We are pleased with how we tackled the weekend and with the overall pace of the FW43B at this circuit.
Monza marks the end of this triple-header run of races and of course presents a very different challenge to Zandvoort, both in terms of the circuit layout and the event format. We are very keen to get back out on the track and put the FW43B through its paces at this iconic track.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won his home grand prix with a two-stopper using all three compounds perfectly: starting on the P Zero Red soft C3, before moving onto the P Zero Yellow medium C2, and finishing on the P Zero White hard C1.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who finished second, opted for a different strategy: starting on the soft and then running two stints on the medium. He added an unscheduled third stop right at the end of the race for softs, to claim the fastest lap championship point.
The top five finished in the order in which they started on the grid. However, there were five different strategies in the top six, demonstrating the different tactical approaches that many teams took to the race.
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was the only driver to start on the hard compound, from the pit lane. He went from hard to medium to soft, finishing eighth and being voted as driver of the day.
There was a mixture of one and two-stoppers during the race, with seven drivers stopping twice and the rest stopping once. Hamilton was the only driver to stop three times.
Today was a bit warmer than previous days, with track temperatures that peaked at 32 degrees.
Mario Isola: "All three compounds that we nominated for the race played a prominent role, underlining how there was a big variety of successful strategies today on this brand new and very exciting circuit, with the drivers pushing to the maximum all the way to the end. Along with the warmer weather today compared to previous days, this meant that there were plenty of demands placed on the tyres - so it was the right decision to come here with the three hardest tyres in the range. Wear was higher than predicted due to a lack of long runs before the race, while degradation was in line with expectations. Prior to the final stops for the soft from Mercedes at the end of the race, a used medium tyre showed its capability to set the fastest lap. Congratulations to Max Verstappen and Red Bull for an extremely popular home victory."
