Mercedes’ George Russell dominated the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race, leading from start to finish. He managed his tyres carefully early on, conserving pace for the final stages after noting Ferrari’s speed. Eight laps into the event, a rival radioed that he had lost rear grip and began falling back, allowing Russell to control the opening phase.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, running on soft rubber, gained strength as the race progressed. He overtook Russell at the first corner on lap 18 before being re-passed. Russell explained his strategy: “As soon as I saw him get ahead, sort of picked up the pace and the two of us pulled away. So, I think it was a well-managed race.”

Rain was forecast near the end but arrived only after the chequered flag. Leclerc finished just 0.3secs behind Russell, admitting the team lacked pace in slow corners despite strong high-speed performance. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri held off Max Verstappen on the final lap to secure third, despite both lacking outright speed compared to the lead pair.