Oscar Piastri finished sixth in the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on August 23, an afternoon he described as frustrating. His McLaren teammate Lando Norris secured victory, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell completing the podium.
Norris converted his pole position into a second consecutive race win, following his success at the Hungarian Grand Prix. This result marked McLaren’s third consecutive victory at the Zandvoort circuit.
The race began on a damp track after pre-race rain, leading to an early red flag. Home favourite Max Verstappen crashed heavily on the opening lap, ending his Grand Prix prematurely.
At the standing restart on Lap 5, Piastri initially showed strong form. He regained a position from Charles Leclerc and executed an impressive overtake on George Russell to move into third place.
However, Piastri’s race began to unravel during the pit stop phase. A slow stop on Lap 18 caused him to lose a position to Russell, a setback from which he struggled to recover.
From the second stint onwards, Piastri reported a significant drop-off in pace. He found himself unable to match the frontrunners, particularly on the hard compound tyres.
Both Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, subsequently passed Piastri. He ultimately crossed the finish line over 32 seconds behind his winning teammate.
Piastri expressed his mystification regarding the sudden loss of pace. He stated:
‘I think the first lap was good, or after the red flag was good, and then the first stint felt okay. And then after that I just had nothing.’
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the issues. Stella noted that Piastri’s sixth-place finish was ‘not a fair reflection of the competitiveness he demonstrated throughout the weekend.’
Stella attributed the lost time to the slow pit stop and Piastri’s subsequent struggles to activate the hard tyre compound effectively. This combination cost him several positions.
Piastri also highlighted a recurring issue with the MCL40’s rear end in races, describing it as ‘very tricky to drive.’ He admitted this pace deficit has been present in too many races this season.
The Australian driver’s result at Zandvoort extends his winless streak beyond a year. He currently sits seventh in the drivers’ championship with 104 points.
