Leclerc passes Norris for sprint second as Russell wins at Zandvoort
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 22, 2026
Russell wins sprint
George Russell won the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint at Zandvoort from pole position and controlled the race from the front to the finish. The Mercedes driver led every lap of the 24-lap sprint in the first Formula 1 sprint race ever held at the circuit. It was Russell’s third Sprint win of the 2026 season, a clean run that left little room for challengers once the field settled into race pace. The result also gave the sprint an immediate front-running pattern. Russell made the first move at the start, kept the lead through each phase of the race and never gave the opposition a way back in. By the end, he had turned pole into a straightforward victory and set the tone for the rest of the afternoon at Zandvoort. Charles Leclerc finished second, 1.360 seconds behind Russell, but the result never looked in doubt at the sharp end once Russell established control. The win also underlined how quickly the sprint format can shape a weekend when track position matters this much. Russell took that position early and held it. No one got close enough to challenge him over the full distance.
Leclerc passes Norris
Charles Leclerc took second place from Lando Norris on Lap 18 and held it to the end, giving Ferrari a strong result behind Russell. Norris had started from the front row after missing pole position to Russell by just 0.041 seconds, but he could not keep Leclerc behind once the Ferrari found a way through. Leclerc made the move on Lap 18 and then managed the gap to the flag, while Norris settled for third after spending the closing stages trying to protect the position. Kimi Antonelli finished fourth after pressing Norris for the final podium spot. Oscar Piastri came home fifth after dropping from fourth to fifth on the opening lap, a setback that shaped the rest of his sprint. The order at the front stayed tight enough to reward small gains and punish any slip, and Leclerc used that opening when it came. Norris had the pace to stay in the fight for a podium result, but he could not match Russell at the front and he could not hold off Leclerc once the Ferrari got alongside. The sprint also gave Ferrari and McLaren a clear look at where they stood against the front-runners over a short race distance. Leclerc converted a passing opportunity into second, Norris salvaged third and Antonelli and Piastri filled out the next two spots in a race where early track position mattered throughout.
McLaren searches
Norris said McLaren was “not quick enough” after the sprint and pointed to a lack of pace, especially in the slow-speed corners. That assessment matched the picture from the race, where Norris qualified second but could not turn that strong starting spot into a challenge for victory. McLaren brought another upgrade package to the race weekend, but the team still had work to do before qualifying. Norris’ comments suggested the upgrades had not yet delivered the kind of balance or speed McLaren wanted over a lap, and the sprint gave the team another data point before the grid sets for the next session. The pace issues mattered most in the places where traction and rotation usually decide whether a car can attack or defend. Norris said McLaren struggled there, and the result backed up that view. He stayed ahead of Antonelli to finish third, so the sprint did yield a solid result in the points positions, but it also left McLaren looking for more ahead of qualifying. Piastri’s loss of a spot on the opening lap and Norris’ inability to close on Leclerc added to the sense that McLaren had work to do if it wanted to move higher on the order. The sprint did not offer a false comfort. It showed the team where it stood, and Norris made clear that the team wanted a better answer before the next competitive session.
