The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort offered Formula 1TM at its most brutal and bizarre: McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stormed to a flawless victory, Ferrari collapsed with a double DNF, and Charles Leclerc’s brooding post-race moment on a grassy Dutch knoll went instantly viral.
Piastri’s Perfection
Starting from pole, Oscar Piastri delivered a race for the record books: pole, every lap led, fastest lap, and the win, a grand slam not seen by McLaren since 1998. It was his seventh victory of the season, extending his championship lead to 34 points after teammate Lando Norris retired with engine failure.
Behind him, local hero Max Verstappen salvaged second in front of a sea of orange, while rookie Isack Hadjar clinched a shock podium in third, the first of his career.
Ferrari’s Nightmare: Hamilton Out, Leclerc Rages
Ferrari’s campaign imploded early. Lewis Hamilton crashed out on lap 23 at Turn 3, losing control in the damp banking. His Ferrari clipped the wall, ending his race and bringing out a safety car.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for Charles Leclerc, who had just pitted for fresh tyres. Over the radio, the Monegasque unleashed his fury:
“No! ….Oh my god. We are so unlucky, it is unbelievable.”
As if scripted for tragedy, things only got worse.
Leclerc vs Russell: The “Inconclusive” Clash
On the restart, Leclerc wrestled with George Russell in a combative duel. He muscled his Ferrari around the outside of Turn 11 and dived inside at Turn 12, banging wheels with the Mercedes in the process. Both cars sustained damage, and stewards investigated whether Leclerc had gone off-track to complete the move.
The verdict? “Inconclusive.” Neither driver penalised, no further action, a racing incident. For Leclerc, the escape was meaningless; his day was already destined for heartbreak.
Antonelli Collision & Brutal DNF
On lap 53, rookie Kimi Antonelli misjudged a move as Leclerc rejoined on fresh tyres. The Italian clipped Leclerc’s Ferrari, sending him spinning into the wall. His front wing sheared off, his suspension broke and his race was over.
Antonelli was later slapped with a 10-second penalty for the incident (on top of a pit-lane speeding penalty), tumbling him to 16th in the classification.
Leclerc’s Viral Album Cover Moment
What happened next became the image of the weekend.
The climbing from his wrecked Ferrari, Leclerc hopped the barriers, walked up a small grassy hill, and sat down, helmet off, staring out across the Zandvoort dunes. For half an hour he remained there, motionless, as the race carried on below him.
The Bigger Picture
Piastri, Championship leader by 34 points, in supreme control. Verstappen: Keeps hopes alive but can’t dent McLaren’s momentum. Hadjar’s first podium, a fairytale moment. Ferrari on the other hand …Double DNF, questions piling up. And Hamilton is closing in on an unwanted Ferrari record for DNFs, while Leclerc has the pace but no luck.
All Eyes on Monza
Ferrari now heads to Monza, where the Tifosi will expect redemption. But arriving with no points from Zandvoort, a bruised Leclerc, and a shaken Hamilton, the Scuderia faces its sternest test yet. Luckily at least Leclerc escaped any penalty in Zandvoort that could have impacted his chances in Monza.
If there’s a circuit where Charles Leclerc can flip the script, it’s Monza, where he consistently podiums. The Monegasque has already etched his name into Ferrari folklore there, famously winning in 2019 in front of the delirious Tifosi. No matter the heartbreak at Zandvoort, Leclerc arrives in Italy with the pace, the passion, and the proven history to ignite Ferrari’s homecoming roar.
