Zandvoort Mayhem: Mercedes Salvages Points Amid Penalties and Damage

The Dutch Grand Prix served up a rollercoaster of emotions for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, with strategic gambles, high-stakes incidents, and a gritty drive to the finish. George Russell battled through floor damage to claim P4, while Kimi Antonelli, who had crossed the line in P6, was demoted to P16 after two-time penalties. In F1 Academy, Mercedes Junior Doriane Pin continued her championship charge with a hard-earned P3 finish.

Race Recap: From Opportunity to Adversity

With light rain threatening early on, both drivers opted for Medium tyres at the start. However, the opening lap proved costly—Russell slipped to P6, Antonelli to P12. A Safety Car on lap 23, triggered by Lewis Hamilton’s crash, allowed both to pit for Hard tyres, gaining track position as others stopped.

The race took a dramatic turn after a brief Virtual Safety Car, when Charles Leclerc made contact with Russell at Turn 13, damaging the Briton’s floor and compromising his aero performance. In response, the team swapped positions between Russell and Antonelli, aiming to undercut Leclerc.

Ferrari reacted immediately, and both cars rejoined on Soft tyres. At Turn 3, Antonelli collided with Leclerc, forcing the Ferrari into retirement and earning himself a 10-second penalty. A further 5-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane sealed his fate, dropping him out of the points.

A late Safety Car following Lando Norris’ retirement neutralized the race, leaving Antonelli with no chance to recover. Russell, despite significant damage, held firm to finish P4, helping Mercedes close the gap to second in the Constructors’ Championship—now just 12 points behind.

Driver Reactions

George Russell (#63): “It was a tough race. After the contact with Charles, I was losing nearly half a second per lap. To finish P4 with that damage was better than expected.

We didn’t have podium pace today, but we gained points on Ferrari, and that’s a win in itself. Hats off to Isack Hadjar—he drove brilliantly. Now, it’s full focus on Monza.”

Kimi Antonelli (#12): “It’s a shame. The pace was there, and I felt great in the car. We were in the fight for a strong result, but the incident with Charles changed everything. I tried to keep it tight into Turn 3, but contact was unavoidable. I’m sorry to Charles and Ferrari.

Monza is next—my second home race—and I’ll be working hard to improve my qualifying and bounce back.”

Team Leadership Insights

Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO: “It was a challenging race with plenty of drama. Kimi has made huge progress this season, and while his move was slightly too optimistic, we want him to be bold. George was unlucky—Charles’ move was risky, and the damage cost him a shot at the podium. Still, P4 is a solid result, and we’re closing in on second in the championship. On to Monza.”

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director: “It was a messy race, but we made the right calls. George’s damage hurt his pace, and Kimi’s penalties were unfortunate. The undercut attempt was the right move, but the contact ended any chance of points for Kimi. We’ll regroup and aim for a cleaner, more competitive weekend at Monza.”

F1 Academy: Pin Holds Her Ground

Mercedes Junior Doriane Pin continued her impressive run in the F1 Academy, finishing P3 in Zandvoort and maintaining her lead in the championship with just two rounds remaining.

Doriane Pin: “It was a tough weekend, especially in qualifying, but I’m happy to leave with a podium. We’ve been consistent all season, and that’s helping us stay ahead. With Singapore and Las Vegas coming up, we’ll keep pushing to finish strong.”

Race Summary

The team heads to Italy with momentum and determination, ready to deliver in front of the tifosi and continue the fight for the Constructors’ Championship.