McLaren put Oscar Piastri on hards, pitted him for another set of hards 13 laps later, then cost him a further second and a half with a 3.8 stop. He went from third to sixth. Di and Ciara Gillan spend most of this episode trying to work out why.
Lando Norris won it, his second in a row, and left Zandvoort sounding like a man who thinks a second title is live. He is 83 points behind Kimi Antonelli with 11 races to go.
Max Verstappen was out on the first racing lap. He caught a wet patch, hit the wall twice, and his car came apart, at his home race, in the last Dutch Grand Prix Zandvoort will hold. Di explains why the circuit walked away: no government backing, all three days had to sell out, and a long contract with Liberty Media was a risk the promoter would not take.
Mercedes ordered Russell to hand second place to Antonelli. Russell's response on the radio, and his response in the pen afterwards, were two different things.
The question the episode does not settle: with Mark Webber no longer welcome in the McLaren garage, who is arguing Piastri's case during a race?
Russell arrived engaged and relaxed and won the sprint.
Non-race weekend next, then Monza.
In this episode
- Why Zandvoort is off the calendar: no government underwriting, all three days had to sell out, and a long Liberty Media deal was too much risk. The circuit walked, not Formula 1.
- Verstappen catches a wet patch on the first real lap, hits the wall twice, and is out at his home race in front of an orange grandstand.
- Bortoleto spins 360 behind him and Hülkenberg misses T-boning him by inches through a wall of smoke.
- Norris wins back to back and starts talking title on the team radio, 83 points down with 11 to go.
- McLaren put Piastri on hards, then on hards again after 13 laps, then a 3.8 second stop. Ciara: "I feel like Piastri is driving a tractor."
- Piastri's restart overtake on Russell, in a place nobody overtakes, which left the Sky Sports commentary team lost for words.
- Ciara's argument for Piastri: at every other top team the two drivers are within reach of each other. Only at McLaren is there a gulf.
- Hadjar out with a wrist injury from boxing training, Lawson promoted to Red Bull and finishing seventh, Tsunoda back on the grid in 11th.
- Sainz slides into Albon on lap 66 and takes a penalty, weeks after both re-signed with Williams. The rumoured 30 million euro deal is still just a rumour.
- Half the 2027 grid is unsigned: both Mercedes, both Racing Bulls, both Aston Martins, both Haas, both Audi, plus Hadjar and Colapinto.
- Mercedes swap Russell and Antonelli for second. Russell to his engineer: "We've just lost a double podium here, mate."
- Ferrari's radio war: Leclerc nearly into the back of Hamilton, and Hamilton asking whether he is a guinea pig out there.
- Six retirements over 72 laps on the second shortest circuit after Monaco, and Di's tribute to the Dutch fans.
- Ciara on what Piastri actually needs: to start demanding things, or someone in his corner doing it for him.
Hosted by Dianne Bortoletto, Instagram @travelletto.
With Ciara Gillan of Formula Live Pulse, Instagram @ciaragillan16.
Formula Live Pulse: https://www.f1livepulse.com/en/
Follow Away We Go Podcast:
