on the pit wall

The chequered flag has fallen at Zandvoort, and Lando Norris is the winner of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix! 🏆🟠 It was a dramatic afternoon featuring a red flag, battles at the front, Mercedes team orders and heartbreak for the thousands of Dutch fans after Max Verstappen crashed out on the opening lap. Norris eventually took victory ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with George Russell completing the podium for Mercedes. Here's The Pit Wall's reaction to the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix. 💥 Verstappen's Home Race Ends on Lap 1 One of the biggest stories happened almost immediately. Max Verstappen was out of his home Grand Prix on the opening lap. Verstappen lost control at the final corner and crashed into the barriers, bringing out the red flag. Thankfully, Verstappen was able to get out of the car, but his Dutch Grand Prix was over. It was a heartbreaking moment for the Orange Army. The grandstands were packed with Dutch fans hoping to see Verstappen fight his way thr...

Qualifying for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix is complete, and Lando Norris will start from pole position at Zandvoort! It was an incredibly close fight at the front, with George Russell narrowly missing out on pole and championship leader Kimi Antonelli taking third. Meanwhile, the Dutch crowd didn't get the result they were hoping for, as Max Verstappen qualified seventh for his home Grand Prix. Here’s The Pit Wall’s reaction to an exciting qualifying session at Zandvoort. 🟠 Norris Delivers When It Matters What a lap from Lando Norris! The McLaren driver produced a 1:11.163 when it mattered most, beating George Russell to pole by just 0.102 seconds. After finishing third in the Sprint, McLaren made changes ahead of qualifying, and they appear to have worked. Norris looked confident when the pressure was at its highest and put together the lap he needed to secure the best possible starting position for the Grand Prix. Now comes the difficult part. Can he turn pole into victory? ⚫ Russ...

The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint is complete at Zandvoort, and George Russell has taken the victory for Mercedes after an impressive performance from the front. With Charles Leclerc charging through to second, Lando Norris completing the podium and Max Verstappen trying to fight his way forward in front of his home fans, the Sprint has given us plenty to talk about. Here’s The Pit Wall’s reaction to the Dutch GP Sprint. 🏆 Russell Controls the Sprint George Russell was the man to beat at Zandvoort. Starting from pole position, the Mercedes driver got a strong launch and kept Lando Norris behind him into the opening corner. Norris initially stayed close, but Russell remained in control and managed his race brilliantly. Even when Charles Leclerc began closing in during the later stages, Russell had enough pace to respond. He crossed the line 1.360 seconds ahead of Leclerc, securing the Sprint victory and eight valuable championship points. After a strong start to the Dutch GP weekend, Me...

The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix weekend is officially underway, and Sprint Qualifying at Zandvoort certainly gave us plenty to talk about. With incredibly small gaps at the front, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari all fighting for pole, and Max Verstappen trying to deliver in front of his home crowd, Friday's session has set us up for a fascinating Sprint. But when it mattered most, George Russell delivered. Russell Takes Sprint Pole George Russell will start Saturday's Sprint from pole position after producing a brilliant 1:11.567 in SQ3. It was incredibly close. Lando Norris finished just 0.041 seconds behind Russell, while Charles Leclerc was only 0.055 seconds away from pole. Oscar Piastri wasn't far behind either, meaning the top four were separated by less than a tenth of a second. For Russell, it's another impressive result in the Sprint format. This is his third Sprint pole in five Sprint weekends this season. Mercedes had already shown plenty of pace earlier in the day, ...

Formula 1 is back at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix, and the action is already underway. With the cars hitting the circuit for practice, we got our first look at which teams could be strong this weekend. Zandvoort is one of the most exciting circuits on the calendar, with its fast corners, banked sections and very little room for mistakes. Mercedes Start Strong Mercedes made an impressive start to the weekend, with Kimi Antonelli setting the fastest time of the practice session. Antonelli looked comfortable around Zandvoort and showed strong pace ahead of the competitive sessions. George Russell was also near the front, making it an encouraging start for Mercedes. McLaren Are Right There Lando Norris was also looking quick. The McLaren driver finished close to Antonelli and showed that McLaren could be serious contenders as the weekend continues. Oscar Piastri was slightly further back, but McLaren certainly look like a team to watch. Ferrari Join the Fight Ferrari also showed pro...

Welcome to the pit wall  Welcome to The Pit Wall  — your new home for all things Formula 1! If you love the sound of engines, last-lap battles, risky strategy calls and all the drama that comes with an F1 race weekend, you’re in the right place. What Is The Pit Wall? The Pit Wall is all about sharing our passion for Formula 1. Here on the blog, we’ll be talking about everything happening both on and off the track. Expect race previews and reviews, driver and team news, championship discussions, predictions, opinions and plenty of debate about the biggest moments in F1. One week we might be discussing an incredible overtake or surprise podium. The next, we could be asking why a team made that strategy call or looking ahead to the latest battle in the championship. More Than Just a Blog The blog also goes hand-in-hand with the On the Pit Wall podcast, where we dive deeper into the latest stories from the world of Formula 1. The podcast gives us the chance to discuss, debate and...