Race winner at Zandvoort dunes: Piastri

In a thrilling race at the Zandvoort circuit, Oscar Piastri clinched his seventh season win, marking a significant milestone in his Formula 1 career.

The front of the race was relatively uneventful, with Piastri maintaining a lead of more than a second, and Verstappen a good ten seconds behind. However, the action picked up towards the end, with several incidents shaking up the standings.

Defending champion Verstappen took a risk at the start of the race by using softer tires, but it seemed to pay off as he secured second place. Unfortunately, his closest rival, Lando Norris, had to retire from the race due to a technical defect seven laps from the end. Norris' car started smoking after the restart, potentially influencing the championship fight.

The race took an unexpected turn when Lewis Hamilton, who had not failed to finish a race since his switch to Scuderia, crashed into the barrier after a driving error in the 24th lap. This marked the first time Hamilton failed to finish a race since joining the team.

Another incident involved Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari and Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes, who collided, ending Leclerc's Grand Prix. Ferrari had failed to bring a car home just a week before their home race due to Antonelli's error.

Meanwhile, McLaren made the best impression in the first race after the three-week summer break. Ralf Schumacher described McLaren as being "in their own world." Nico Hülkenberg finished 14th in the Sauber, but McLaren's strong performance was undoubtedly the talk of the town.

The race was not without its share of celebrations. Isack Hadjar, a rookie in the sport, made it onto the podium, adding to the excitement of the day. Hadjar's team principal, Peter Bayer, said the whole team was celebrating.

With this victory, Piastri extended his lead in the world championship standings, now 104 points ahead of Verstappen. The next race promises to be an exciting one as the championship fight heats up.