George Russell returned to winning ways on Saturday, August 22, by taking victory in the Sprint at the Dutch Grand Prix, converting pole position into his second Sprint win of the 2026 season.
The Mercedes driver controlled the 24-lap race to finish ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started third but managed to overtake Lando Norris and move into second place. Norris completed the Sprint podium in third.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fourth in a disappointing result for the Mercedes driver, but crucially picked up five points to extend his lead over his closest rival, Lewis Hamilton, who finished seventh.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took fifth, ahead of home favorite Max Verstappen in sixth. Hamilton finished seventh, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly claimed the final Sprint point in eighth.
Attention now turns to qualifying for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix, which will determine the starting order for the final race at Zandvoort. Qualifying is scheduled for 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Moroccan time on Saturday.
The Dutch Grand Prix, the final F1 race scheduled at Zandvoort, will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 23.
