2021 Dutch Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The Dutch Grand Prix returned to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 1985, and Zandvoort‘s packed grandstands had their moment to celebrate. Max Verstappen won the 2021 race from pole position, managing the pressure from Mercedes and delivering the result his home crowd had come to see.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 September 2021
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit Zandvoort
Laps: 72 laps
Circuit length: 4.259 km
1985 winner: Niki Lauda

Pole position
Driver	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Time	1:08.885
Fastest lap
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:11.097 on lap 72
Podium
First	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Second	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Third	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
3 September 2021	Practice 1	11:30 – 12:30
3 September 2021	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:00
4 September 2021	Practice 3	12:00 – 13:00
4 September 2021	Qualifying	15:00 – 16:00
5 September 2021	Race	15:00

All times are local (UTC+02:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

The unusual Belgian result had reduced Hamilton’s lead to three points, leaving the championship finely balanced as it arrived in the Netherlands. Zandvoort‘s banked corners and narrow layout offered a fresh challenge to the modern field, while the atmosphere around Verstappen made this one of the most eagerly anticipated weekends of the season.

Race entries

Kimi Räikkönen took part in Friday practice but tested positive for COVID-19 before FP3. Robert Kubica replaced him at Alfa Romeo Racing for the rest of the weekend, returning to a Formula 1 race seat for the first time since 2019. The other race entries remained unchanged.

Free Practice

Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 with a 1:11.500, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.097s) and Carlos Sainz. Hamilton topped an opening session heavily interrupted by Vettel’s stoppage, which limited the amount of useful running.

Charles Leclerc topped FP2 with a 1:10.902, ahead of Carlos Sainz (+0.154s) and Esteban Ocon. Ferrari finished FP2 first and second, while a loss of power restricted Hamilton’s session and Mazepin’s spin caused another red flag.

Max Verstappen topped FP3 with a 1:09.623, ahead of Valtteri Bottas (+0.556s) and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen led final practice convincingly, setting the pace ahead of Bottas and Hamilton as qualifying approached.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Dutch Grand Prix FP1, 3 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:11.500	17
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.097s	18
3	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.101s	19
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.123s	18
5	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.238s	18
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+0.658s	18
7	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.731s	17
8	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+0.859s	18
9	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.931s	18
10	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.015s	19
11	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.179s	18
12	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.407s	16
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.553s	20
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.581s	18
15	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.681s	15
16	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.828s	18
17	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.016s	14
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.347s	17
19	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+4.484s	6
20	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri		3

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Dutch Grand Prix FP2, 3 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:10.902	29
2	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.154s	28
3	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.172s	33
4	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.230s	33
5	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.362s	28
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+0.378s	30
7	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.560s	29
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.586s	27
9	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+0.776s	30
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+0.811s	24
11	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+1.009s	3
12	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.044s	27
13	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.194s	31
14	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.234s	29
15	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.255s	25
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.304s	31
17	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+1.705s	31
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.708s	27
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+1.933s	12
20	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.953s	30

Free Practice 3 Classification

2021 Dutch Grand Prix FP3, 4 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:09.623	13
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.556s	17
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.794s	22
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.903s	20
5	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.047s	16
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.158s	19
7	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.219s	19
8	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.249s	20
9	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.273s	20
10	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.382s	21
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.390s	19
12	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.460s	19
13	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.557s	23
14	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.651s	20
15	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.676s	20
16	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+2.317s	5
17	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+2.357s	29
18	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.513s	23
19	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.539s	28
20	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.743s	20

Qualifying

Max Verstappen delivered pole position for the home crowd with a 1:08.885, resisting a late improvement from Lewis Hamilton by just 0.038s. Valtteri Bottas qualified third, ahead of Pierre Gasly and the two Ferraris.

Antonio Giovinazzi impressed with seventh for Alfa Romeo Racing, while Sergio Perez was eliminated in Q1 and later moved to a pit-lane start after component changes. Accidents for George Russell and Nicholas Latifi interrupted Q2, with Latifi also ultimately required to start from the pit lane after repairs and changes to his Williams.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying, 4 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:10.036	1:09.071	1:08.885	15
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:10.114	1:09.726	1:08.923	17
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:10.219	1:09.769	1:09.222	17
4	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:10.274	1:09.541	1:09.478	17
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:09.829	1:09.437	1:09.527	18
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:10.022	1:09.870	1:09.537	19
7	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:10.050	1:10.033	1:09.590	17
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:10.179	1:09.919	1:09.933	17
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:10.435	1:10.020	1:09.956	13
10	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:10.255	1:09.865	1:10.166	17
11	63	George Russell	Williams	1:10.382	1:10.332	—	13
12	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:10.438	1:10.367	—	13
13	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:10.489	1:10.406	—	13
14	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:10.093	1:11.161	—	16
15	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:10.462	1:11.314	—	15
16	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:10.530	—	—	9
17	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:10.731	—	—	7
18	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:11.301	—	—	9
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1:11.387	—	—	11
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:11.875	—	—	10

Nicholas Latifi received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. He was then required to start the race from the pit lane for a front wing change and nose assembly in parc fermé.

Sergio Perez was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements. He was then required to start the race from the pit lane for a new energy store specification.

What happened in the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen converted pole into a popular home victory, holding off the strategic challenge from Mercedes to win the Dutch Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton finished second and took fastest lap, while Valtteri Bottas completed the podium.

Verstappen made a strong start and kept Hamilton behind into the opening corner. Unlike the interrupted practice and qualifying sessions, the first lap passed without a major incident, allowing the leaders to establish their rhythm and turn their attention to tyre management.

Mercedes brought Hamilton in first, but Red Bull Racing responded promptly and kept Verstappen ahead. Bottas stayed out longer and briefly led, giving Mercedes a chance to slow Verstappen and bring Hamilton closer. Verstappen removed that obstacle with a pass into Turn 1 and restored control of the race.

The second round of stops brought another attempt from Mercedes to change the balance. Hamilton returned to medium tyres while Verstappen took hards, but Red Bull Racing‘s leader maintained enough pace to protect the gap. The narrow circuit made an attack difficult unless Hamilton could get close enough at precisely the right moment.

Hamilton made a late stop for fresh tyres and secured the fastest-lap bonus on the final tour. Verstappen completed the remaining distance to a tremendous reception from the grandstands, becoming the first Dutch driver to win his home Grand Prix and moving back into the championship lead.

Pierre Gasly delivered an excellent fourth for AlphaTauri, with Charles Leclerc fifth. Fernando Alonso passed Carlos Sainz on the last lap for sixth, while Perez recovered from the pit lane and an early tyre problem to finish eighth. Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris completed the points.

Robert Kubica finished 15th on his return, and George Russell was classified despite retiring late. Zandvoort‘s return had provided the home supporters with the result they wanted, but the closeness of qualifying and Mercedes‘ continued pressure showed that the wider championship contest remained open.

2021 Dutch Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Dutch Grand Prix was held on 5 September 2021, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	72	1:30:05.395	25
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	72	+20.932s	19
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	72	+56.460s	15
4	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	71	+1 lap	12
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	71	+1 lap	10
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	71	+1 lap	8
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	71	+1 lap	6
8	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	71	+1 lap	4
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	71	+1 lap	2
10	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	71	+1 lap	1
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	71	+1 lap	0
12	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	70	+2 laps	0
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	70	+2 laps	0
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	70	+2 laps	0
15	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	70	+2 laps	0
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	70	+2 laps	0
17	63	George Russell	Williams	69	Battery	0
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	69	+3 laps	0
Ret	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	48	Engine	0
Ret	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	41	Water leak	0

Lewis Hamilton earned the additional point for fastest lap.

George Russell was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.

2021 Dutch Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	72	16:33:34	1:11.097	215.654
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	69	16:30:25	1:12.549	211.338
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	60	16:18:26	1:13.275	209.244
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	59	16:19:00	1:13.461	208.714
5	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	63	16:24:49	1:13.958	207.312
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	48	16:05:15	1:14.236	206.535
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	60	16:20:05	1:14.323	206.294
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	54	16:12:40	1:14.675	205.321
9	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	58	16:17:05	1:14.780	205.033
10	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	57	16:15:45	1:14.818	204.929
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	59	16:19:09	1:14.920	204.650
12	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	66	16:28:39	1:15.125	204.091
13	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	45	16:01:00	1:15.260	203.725
14	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	44	16:00:54	1:15.442	203.234
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	57	16:16:50	1:15.611	202.780
16	63	George Russell	Williams	57	16:16:50	1:15.628	202.734
17	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	44	16:00:27	1:15.783	202.319
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	25	15:36:12	1:15.790	202.301
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	36	15:51:45	1:15.927	201.936
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	35	15:49:29	1:16.066	201.567

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	224.5
2	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	221.5
3	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	123
4	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	114
5	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	108
6	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	92
7	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	89.5
8	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	66
9	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	56
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	46
11	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	44
12	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	35
13	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	18
14	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	18
15	George Russell	GBR	Williams	13
16	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	7
17	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	2
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	1
19	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
20	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0
21	Robert Kubica	POL	Alfa Romeo Racing	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	344.5
2	Red Bull Racing	332.5
3	Ferrari	181.5
4	McLaren	170
5	Alpine	90
6	AlphaTauri	84
7	Aston Martin	53
8	Williams	20
9	Alfa Romeo Racing	3
10	Haas	0