The Formula 1 season roared back to life at Zandvoort after the summer break, and the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix was anything but predictable. A combination of shifting weather, multiple safety‑car interventions and a late‑race mechanical drama meant that the F1 drivers’ championship picture was shaken up while the midfield produced some of the year’s wildest battles.

For fans using our real‑time championship calculator, the race was a perfect demonstration of why understanding the F1 points system matters. The current Formula 1 points distribution awards 25 points to the winner, 18 for second, 15 for third and so on down to one point for tenth place, with no extra point for the fastest lap in 2025. That means reliability and strategy can have just as much effect on the championship as outright pace.

Unlike some grands prix this year, Zandvoort did not feature a sprint race. If you’re curious how sprint events and shortened races alter the scoring, check out our guides on sprint race points and standings in shortened races. The Dutch round used the traditional three‑part qualifying format (see F1 qualifying explained) and a full‑distance Grand Prix.

In this article we’ll recap the key moments of the weekend, look at how the F1 2025 driver standings and constructors’ standings evolved and highlight five winners and five losers – not simply those who finished first or last, but the drivers and teams whose performances relative to expectations define the story of the weekend.

Race recap: chaos on the North Sea coast

McLaren arrived in the Netherlands leading both championships and with a confident Lando Norris riding the momentum of a mid‑season surge. In practice the Briton topped all three sessions, only for team‑mate Oscar Piastri to turn the tables in qualifying – the Australian snatched pole position by just 0.012 s and claimed his second consecutive pole at Zandvoort.

The F1 race weekend format begins with free practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, then a three‑segment qualifying on Saturday afternoon to set the grid. Sunday’s race saw Piastri convert pole into a perfect launch while Max Verstappen made a rapid getaway to steal second from Norris. The opening laps suggested a strategic duel, but the first of three safety cars arrived on lap 23 when Lewis Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari on the paint in Turn 3 and slammed into the wall.

From there the race descended into what many fans described as a “midfield F1 battle royale”. Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc clashed later in the race, both retiring and drawing more penalties. Each neutralisation shuffled the order, allowed teams to gamble on alternative strategies and turned tyre management into a mini‑game of chess. When Lando Norris’s Mercedes‑powered McLaren suddenly filled with smoke on lap 65, the biggest swing in the championship points since Canada was set in motion – the Briton recorded his first DNF since Montreal, handing his team‑mate a much wider lead.

Final classification and points

Below is the top‑ten result with points scored under the current Formula 1 points system. Remember that in 2025 there is no additional point for fastest lap, so the final positions determine the scoring:

Pos	Driver	Team	Points
1	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	25
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	18
3	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	15
4	George Russell	Mercedes	12
5	Alex Albon	Williams	10
6	Oliver Bearman	Haas	8
7	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	6
8	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	4
9	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	2
10	Esteban Ocon	Haas	1

The safety‑car‑affected race saw several drivers achieve career‑best results, while others – including both Ferrari drivers – failed to reach the flag.

Championship picture after Zandvoort

The swing of 34 points between the McLaren duo is the key headline. According to the updated F1 2025 driver standings, Oscar Piastri now leads the drivers’ championship with 309 points, while Lando Norris sits on 275. Max Verstappen’s second place lifts him to 205 points, still some way adrift but keeping the 2025 title contenders discussion alive.

Further down the table there’s an intriguing battle for “best of the rest”: Mercedes driver George Russell is fourth on 184 points, while Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc (151 points) and Lewis Hamilton (109 points) are separated by just over a race win’s worth of points. Rookie Isack Hadjar vaults into the top ten with 37 points, tied with Nico Hülkenberg, while Oliver Bearman leaps to 16 points thanks to his sixth‑place finish.

In the F1 constructors’ championship, McLaren extends its advantage to 584 points, with Ferrari (260), Mercedes (248) and Red Bull Racing (214) now locked in a tight three‑way fight for second. Williams’ surprise haul from Alex Albon keeps it fifth on 80 points, while Racing Bulls, KICK Sauber and Haas are separated by just 16 points. These numbers, visible at a glance within our watch companion app, help fans follow the evolving F1 points table in real time.

Winners: who starred at Zandvoort

Oscar Piastri – Grand Slam star and new title favourite

It might seem obvious to list the race winner here, but the manner of Piastri’s success makes him the weekend’s standout performer. The Australian clinched the second grand chelem of his career – pole position, led every lap and set the fastest lap – despite facing a team‑mate in scintillating practice form. His seventh victory of the season is his ninth career win and widens the gap at the top of the drivers’ standings. More importantly, Piastri’s calm control during three safety‑car restarts showed the racecraft and consistency that define most consistent F1 drivers.

Key reasons he’s a winner:

Perfect execution – turning a narrow qualifying advantage into an unflappable race lead.
Championship impact – extends his lead in the F1 drivers’ championship to 34 points.
Points mastery – demonstrates how to maximise the F1 points system by converting pole into the full 25‑point haul and leading every lap.

Isack Hadjar – History‑making rookie

The 20‑year‑old Frenchman continues to impress in his debut season, and at Zandvoort he delivered a maiden podium. Starting fourth, Hadjar not only defended his position against experienced rivals like George Russell and Charles Leclerc, he also survived late restarts to secure third when Norris retired. His 15‑point haul lifts him into the top ten of the championship with 37 points, making him the youngest French driver ever to stand on an F1 podium.

Why Hadjar makes the winners list:

Qualifying prowess – out‑qualifying both Ferraris for fourth on the grid.
Composure under pressure – defending against Russell and Leclerc across multiple safety‑car restarts.
Rookie sensation – vaults to tenth in the standings and strengthens his claim for a future Red Bull seat.

Max Verstappen – Home hero back on the podium

Zandvoort is Max Verstappen’s home circuit, and although a fairy‑tale win eluded him, his measured drive to second was perhaps more impressive than some of his past victories. The Dutchman capitalised on a strong start to jump Norris off the line and kept within striking distance of the McLarens despite knowing the Red Bull RB21 lacked outright pace. When Norris stopped, Verstappen was promoted to second – his first podium since June. The result keeps him third in the standings and within mathematical reach of the title.

What made Verstappen a winner:

Strong start – beating Norris off the line despite starting third.
Resilience – maximised points on a day when his car wasn’t the fastest.
Championship lifeline – closes the gap to Norris and keeps his slim title hopes alive.

Alex Albon – From P15 to P5

Williams expected a tough weekend after tyre warm‑up issues left Alex Albon mired in 15th on the grid. The Anglo‑Thai driver turned that around with an electric start, gaining five places on the opening lap. He then combined pace with opportunism, making decisive moves during the safety‑car periods to finish fifth. The result ties him with Antonelli on 64 points and propels Williams further clear of its midfield rivals.

Why Albon is a winner:

Sensational first lap – leaping from 15th to tenth immediately
Strategic nous – taking advantage of chaos and converting it into a ten‑point haul.
Midfield momentum – maintains Williams’ surprise hold on fifth in the F1 constructors’ championship.

Haas and Oliver Bearman – Pit‑lane to points double

Haas entered Zandvoort with modest expectations; Esteban Ocon and rookie Oliver Bearman qualified on the back row and the team elected to start Bearman from the pit lane after making setup changes. Through smart tyre strategy and opportunistic driving, Bearman climbed into the points and then surged to sixth as others faltered. Ocon followed him home in tenth for the team’s fourth double‑point finish of the year.

Bearman’s performance is particularly notable because he kept a cool head despite multiple restarts and used the hards‑then‑mediums strategy perfectly. Haas’ 9‑point haul moves it closer to KICK Sauber and Racing Bulls in the constructors’ standings.

Reasons Haas/Bearman are winners:

Recovery drive – Bearman rose from a pit‑lane start to finish sixth.
Team execution – both drivers scored, crucial in the tight midfield battle.
Rookie growth – Bearman doubled his season points total and showed he belongs in F1.

Losers: who left Zandvoort with regrets

Lando Norris – Championship hopes dented

Few weekends in Norris’s career will sting as much as this one. After dominating all three practice sessions, he narrowly missed pole and was running second, closing the gap to Piastri when his Mercedes‑power unit failed seven laps from the finish. The DNF not only cost him 18 points but widened the gap to his team‑mate from nine points to 34. McLaren will also need to fit another power unit, incurring a grid penalty, so Norris faces a more difficult climb at Monza.

Why Norris is a loser this weekend:

Mechanical heartbreak – the only non‑finish among the front‑running cars, costing valuable championship points.
Title blow – falls 34 points behind Piastri, making his championship bid a long shot.
Psychological hit – momentum swings toward his team‑mate just as the season enters its decisive phase.

Ferrari – Double DNF and strategic confusion

Ferrari’s weekend went from bad to worse. Lewis Hamilton spun into the Turn‑3 barrier on lap 23 when a light drizzle made the outside lane treacherous. Charles Leclerc was battling George Russell for fifth when rookie Kimi Antonelli washed up the banking into him, ending both their races. The result marked Ferrari’s first double retirement since the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix and allowed Mercedes and Red Bull to close in on the Scuderia in the constructors’ championship.

The team’s strategy decisions were also questionable: reacting to Antonelli’s early pit stop dragged Leclerc into traffic and increased the likelihood of an incident. To make matters worse, Hamilton received a five‑place grid penalty for Monza for a pre‑race yellow‑flag infringement.

Reasons Ferrari land on the losers list:

Zero points – both cars retired, scoring nothing for the first time this season.
Strategic missteps – unnecessary pit calls exposed drivers to risk.
Championship pressure – Mercedes is now only 12 points behind in the constructors’ standings.

Kimi Antonelli – Rookie errors prove costly

Mercedes has high hopes for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but Zandvoort was a step backwards. After missing out on Q3 by less than a tenth, he climbed into the top eight only to collide with Leclerc when he misjudged the low line in Zandvoort’s banked Turn 3. The stewards handed him a 10‑second penalty for the incident and an additional five seconds for speeding in the pit lane. On the road he finished sixth, but with penalties applied he tumbled to 16th.

Why Antonelli is on the losers list:

Throwing away points – two unforced errors cost Mercedes valuable championship points.
Rookie misjudgement – underscores how steep the learning curve can be in F1.
Team‑mate comparison – George Russell scored 12 points for fourth, highlighting what could have been.

Yuki Tsunoda – Opportunity missed at Red Bull

The Dutch Grand Prix was expected to be a chance for Yuki Tsunoda to show he deserves to partner Max Verstappen in 2026. Instead, the Japanese driver qualified only 12th and was shuffled back by the timing of the first safety car. He recovered to ninth but scored just two points in a car capable of challenging for podiums. With rookie Isack Hadjar taking a podium in the junior Racing Bulls team, Tsunoda’s under‑the‑radar result only increases the pressure as Red Bull evaluates its options.

Why Tsunoda counts as a loser:

Underperformance – finishing ninth in a podium‑capable car.
Timing misfortune – caught out by safety car timing, highlighting the importance of qualifying well.
Future uncertainty – Hadjar’s success raises questions about his seat for 2026.

Carlos Sainz – Penalty frustration and missed points

Williams driver Carlos Sainz found himself embroiled in one of the weekend’s more contentious incidents. Attempting to pass Liam Lawson into Turn 1, Sainz made contact and was deemed at fault by the stewards. The resulting 10‑second penalty dropped him out of the points to 13th. The Spaniard was furious, protesting that he was alongside and had been unfairly penalised. With team‑mate Alex Albon finishing fifth, Sainz’s non‑score puts him under pressure in the intra‑team battle and leaves him stranded on 16 points.

Why Sainz is a loser:

Costly collision – the penalty wiped out what could have been a top‑ten finish.
Championship stagnation – remains tied with rookie Bearman on 16 points.
Contrast to team‑mate – Albon’s haul magnifies the missed opportunity.

Frequently asked questions

How does the F1 points system work in 2025?

The current Formula 1 points system awards points to the top ten finishers in each Grand Prix on a 25‑18‑15‑12‑10‑8‑6‑4‑2‑1 scale. Unlike in recent years, there is no bonus point for fastest lap in 2025. Points from sprint events use a different scale; see our dedicated sprint race points guide for more. If a race is shortened (for instance due to weather), points may be halved or reduced according to the distance completed – we explain the calculations in standings in shortened races.

Who leads the F1 2025 drivers’ championship after the Dutch GP?

Oscar Piastri leads with 309 points, followed by team‑mate Lando Norris on 275 and Max Verstappen on 205. George Russell (184) and Charles Leclerc (151) round out the top five.

What are the F1 2025 constructors’ standings?

McLaren sits atop the constructors’ championship with 584 points, more than double Ferrari’s 260. Mercedes is third on 248, ahead of Red Bull Racing on 214 and Williams on 80. The midfield fight between Aston Martin, Racing Bulls, KICK Sauber, Haas and Alpine is separated by just 42 points.

How are F1 qualifying and race weekends structured?

Modern F1 race weekend format begins with two practice sessions on Friday and a third on Saturday morning. Qualifying uses a three‑stage knockout system (Q1, Q2 and Q3) to decide the grid. Some rounds include a sprint race using a shorter qualifying session. Learn more in our in‑depth race weekend format explainer.

What happens if there is a tie in the F1 standings?

If two or more drivers or teams end the season on the same number of points, F1 tie‑breaker rules come into play. The first criteria is the number of race wins; if that is equal, the countback goes to second‑place finishes, then third‑place finishes and so on. In the rare event that all finishing positions are identical, qualifying results are considered. Tie‑breakers have decided championships in the past – our article on how tie‑breakers decide F1 champions explores the history.

How do rookies and midfield teams influence the championship fight?

Rookies like Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman play a crucial role in the F1 points distribution because they can take points away from established contenders. Similarly, midfield teams such as Williams, Haas and Racing Bulls can swing the balance of the constructors’ championship through opportunistic performances. Consistency across the season – not just occasional high finishes – often determines success, as our analysis of F1 consistency in championships shows.

Looking ahead

The Dutch Grand Prix reminds us that no lead is safe and that reliability, strategy and luck all play key roles under the current Formula 1 championship rules. McLaren continues to dominate the 2025 season, but with nine rounds remaining and the next race at Monza looming, the F1 2025 title contenders still have opportunities to turn the tide. Our watch companion app will update the F1 2025 points table in real time as the championship continues – stay tuned for more race analyses and features on historical battles, comebacks and rookies.