Russell Wins Dutch Sprint From Pole for Third Sprint Victory
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 22, 2026
Russell controls Zandvoort sprint
George Russell won the Dutch Grand Prix sprint at Zandvoort from pole position and never gave the field a chance to catch him. He led every lap of the 24-lap race and took the flag with the lead intact, adding his third Sprint victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Russell set the tone from the start and stayed in command through the final laps as the race unfolded cleanly at the front. Rain arrived as the sprint was ending, but it did not change the result. Russell’s pace and track position kept him clear of the pressure behind him, and the win gave him another strong result in a season where he has already built a firm record in sprint format. The outing also showed how valuable clean air proved at Zandvoort. Once Russell stayed ahead at the start, he controlled the rhythm of the race and forced the rest of the leaders to race for the remaining spots.
Leclerc’s soft-tire call
Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari the payoff it wanted with a second-place finish after a late pass on Lando Norris. Leclerc and Ollie Bearman were the only drivers to start the sprint on the C4 soft compound, while the rest of the field went with medium tires. That call set Leclerc apart from the pack and gave Ferrari a different path through the race. He said the decision paid off, added that Ferrari had done its homework with the tire strategy and said the car had felt good since FP1. The result backed up that view. Leclerc kept himself in the fight through the sprint and made the move on Norris late to secure second. His run also gave Ferrari a clear success story from a race where tire choice shaped the early order. Starting on softs carried more risk than the medium-tire approach most of the field chose, but Ferrari judged the tradeoff correctly and gained track position at the key stage of the race. Bearman joined Leclerc on the same compound, but the story at the front belonged to Ferrari’s factory driver, who turned the strategy into a podium finish.
Norris, Antonelli and the rest
Lando Norris finished third after holding off Kimi Antonelli, and McLaren left the sprint still searching for more speed. Norris said McLaren were “not quick enough” and said the team lacked pace, especially in slow-speed corners. McLaren had brought another upgrade package to the race weekend and still planned to look for more performance before qualifying later on Saturday. Antonelli finished fourth after moving past Oscar Piastri on the opening lap, and that opening-lap gain helped shape the rest of the order behind the front trio. Piastri came home fifth, Max Verstappen finished sixth, Lewis Hamilton was seventh and Pierre Gasly took eighth. Antonelli also extended his championship lead over Hamilton to 53 points, a margin that added more weight to the closing stages of the sprint. Hamilton said he had struggled with his Ferrari through Sprint Qualifying and the sprint, and the team would likely make changes before the next sessions. The midfield and lower points places settled in order after the early moves, but the top of the championship picture remained active, with Antonelli’s result strengthening his position and Hamilton left to regroup.
