F1 insider's verdict as oil leak threatens to shatter Lando Norris' title hopes

A dramatic Dutch Grand Prix might have provided a potentially defining moment in the 2025 F1 title race.

It was a tale of contrasting fortunes for the sparring title protagonists at McLaren as the team suffered their first reliability failure of the season - one which has direct implications on the championship.

Here are our biggest winners and losers from a chaotic and incident-strewn race at Zandvoort…

Loser - Lando Norris

Norris endured a heartbreaking DNF when he retired from second place with an oil leak as he was pressurising teammate and race-leader Oscar Piastri.

The Briton lost second to Max Verstappen on the opening lap but impressively fought his way back past the Red Bull driver, before setting about challenging his McLaren stablemate and direct title rival.

The late retirement marks a devastating blow for Norris in his bid to claim a maiden world title. Norris of course has time to fightback with nine races remaining and over 200 points still on the table, but his task has got much harder, particularly given the excellent form and consistency of Piastri this year.

Winner - Oscar Piastri

Naturally, the biggest winner from Norris’ retirement was his teammate Piastri, who has seen his championship lead grow to a 34-point cushion.

But even before Norris broke down, Piastri had the race under control with his latest calm, cool and collected drive from pole position. Piastri eased clear in the early stages and had to navigate two Safety Car restarts, but the win never looked in doubt.

The Australian knows he has a firm advantage in the title race but he is unlikely to start getting complacent, aware that he could too suffer a similar stroke of cruel fate at any given moment.

Loser - Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton

Another disastrous race Ferrari will want to forget after seeing both of their drivers crash out.

First, Lewis Hamilton was taken by surprise by a damp patch and hit the wall at Turn 3 in a rare mistake from the seven-time world champion, who had been in a chippier mood prior after a much-needed summer break and improved qualifying.

Hamilton was later hit with a grid penalty for Monza for an infringement before the F1 Dutch Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc’s race also ended in the Turn 3 barriers, though this was not his fault, having been taken out by Kimi Antonelli. The double DNF is not ideal for Ferrari’s quest to beat Mercedes to second place in the constructors’ championship.

Winner - Isack Hadjar

After producing the "best lap” of his career to bag a superb fourth on the grid, Isack Hadjar went on to claim a stunning maiden podium.

Yes, there was a big slice of fortune involved, with Hadjar benefitting from Norris’s DNF, but the Frenchman once again turned in another outstanding drive and was on course for a comfortable P4 having impressively resisted Leclerc’s Ferrari prior to the late drama.

If these kind of performances continue, Hadjar will surely be a Red Bull driver next year.

Loser - Carlos Sainz

Williams driver Carlos Sainz was left fuming with the FIA after he copped a 10-second penalty and two superlicence points for a clash with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson at Turn 1. Sainz branded the penalty a “complete joke” and laid the blame firmly on Lawson for the collision which ultimately wrecked both driver’s hopes of scoring points at Zandvoort.

Winner - Oliver Bearman and Haas

A brilliant recovery drive from Oliver Bearman, who navigated his way from a pitlane start to claim a career-best result in F1 and score big points for Haas, who in turn have closed the gap to eighth-placed Sauber with Esteban Ocon also snatching a point.

Loser - Kimi Antonelli

Another race on European soil that Antonelli will want to erase from his memory. The 18-year-old Italian’s risky and over-ambitious attempt to overtake Leclerc ruined both their afternoons.

The incident earned Antonelli a time penalty which dropped him out of the points, while he also picked up two penalty points on his super licence in what is becoming a bruising learning curve of a rookie campaign.

Winner - Alex Albon

Alex Albon put his qualifying frustrations behind him with a strong and faultless drive from P15 to P5. Like many in the winners’ category, Albon was a beneficiary of misfortune for his rivals, but he nevertheless turned in an impressive performance to put himself in a position to capitalise and score a big result for Williams.

Loser - Alpine

Alpine could not take advantage of the chaos at Zandvoort and leave the Netherlands empty-handed. With most of their rivals enjoying strong results, the Anglo-French squad are even further adrift at the bottom of the constructors’.

There was at least a better showing from Franco Colapinto, who finished 11th, narrowly missing out on his first points finish for Alpine.

Winner - Lance Stroll

Quite the rollercoaster weekend for Lance Stroll. The Canadian had two big crashes and started from the back of the field, before riding his luck on his way to a surprise seventh-place finish ahead of frustrated Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso.

Loser - Sauber

Like Alpine, Sauber were left to rue a missed opportunity. Hadjar’s podium has lifted Racing Bulls above Sauber to seventh, while Haas are now just seven points behind after a double points haul.