In Pictures: Netherlands 2025
The Dutch Grand Prix marked a milestone in Pirelli’s history in Formula 1, as it was the five hundredth world championship round of motorsport’s blue-riband category in which the Italian marque has had an official presence. The story began on May 13, 1950, at the British Grand Prix, which was also the very first world championship event. That day at Silverstone, four Alfa Romeos and four Maseratis ran on Pirelli tires, and the race winner, Giuseppe Farina, was followed home by Luigi Fagioli and Red Parnell, all in Alfas, giving the Italian brand a clean sweep of the podium. Since then, Pirelli has been present at 499 events across three eras: from 1950 to 1958, from 1981 to 1991 (excluding 1987 and 1988), and from 2011 onwards, when it became the FIA Formula 1 World Championship’s Global Tire Partner.
There were celebrations at Zandvoort, and they will continue the following weekend at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, where Pirelli serves as Title Sponsor. In the Netherlands, every car and every set of slick tires carried a special 500 GP logo, first unveiled in London on February 18 during the celebrations for Formula 1’s 75th anniversary. At Monza, team personnel and drivers will join senior management from F1, the FIA, and Pirelli for a commemorative photo just hours before the race start.
THE TRACK
A lap of the Zandvoort circuit measures 4.259 kilometers, winding through the dunes along the North Sea coast, less than 40 kilometers from the Dutch capital. It features 14 low- to medium-speed corners, four to the left and ten to the right, with Turns 3 and 14 banked at angles of 19 and 18 degrees respectively, noticeably steeper than the turns at Indianapolis.
FRIDAY
Both practice sessions on Friday at Zandvoort were interrupted by red flags, as several drivers went off track, with some ending up in the barriers. When it came to lap times, Lando Norris set the pace, topping both sessions, first with a 1:10.278 in FP1, then improving to a 1:09.890 in FP2. In the second session, Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri (1:09.979) both dipped under the 1:10 mark, but it was Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin who split the two McLarens with a lap of 1:09.977.
Although rain threatened during FP2, intermediate and wet tires stayed unused in the garages. Nine drivers put one of their two sets of hard compound tires to work: Tsunoda in FP1; and Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Russell, Lawson, Hadjar, Albon, and Sainz in FP2. Racing Bulls’ French driver, however, never completed a timed lap on his C2s after a technical issue forced him to park the car on his out-lap. Similarly, Antonelli’s running ended early in FP1 when he slid into the gravel.
SATURDAY
After topping all three practice sessions and the first two phases of qualifying, Lando Norris was narrowly denied pole position by his teammate Oscar Piastri in Q3. The Australian edged him out by just twelve thousandths of a second, 1:08.662 to 1:08.674, a margin equivalent to 74 centimeters. It marked Piastri’s fifth career pole, all of them scored this season. For McLaren, it was pole number 173 overall and its third at Zandvoort.
The second row of the grid was locked out by Honda-powered cars, with Max Verstappen placing third in 1:08.925 for Red Bull, ahead of Isack Hadjar in the Racing Bulls on 1:09.208—the Frenchman’s best-ever qualifying performance.
SUNDAY
The Dutch Grand Prix was incident-packed and thrilling, ending in victory for Oscar Piastri. Starting from pole, he set the fastest lap and led from lights out to the checkered flag, securing the first Grand Slam of his young career. It was the Australian’s ninth win, and the 201st, and its fifth at Zandvoort for McLaren.
Max Verstappen claimed second place, maintaining his perfect record of podium finishes at his home race with three wins and two second places from five starts. In third, Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) secured his maiden podium, becoming the youngest French driver, and the fifth youngest overall, to finish in the top three, at 20 years, 11 months, and 3 days old.
There were strong results across the midfield as well, with double points for both Aston Martin and Haas. Ollie Bearman delivered an impressive drive to P6 after starting from the pit lane, while Alex Albon charged from P15 to finish fifth for Williams. The only retirements were the two Ferraris and Norris’ McLaren.
Controversy, drama, penalties, a Grand Slam for Piastri, and a first podium for Hadjar, Zandvoort had it all!
NEXT STOP: The Temple of Speed, MONZA 🇮🇹
Excerpts and media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A. and official Formula 1 Team Press Offices. All images are credited to their respective copyright holders and used for editorial purposes only.
