Liam Lawson. Photo: Photosport
A late collision has shut Liam Lawson out of the points at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, with the frustrated New Zealand driver having been on course for a career-best finish.
Lawson was seventh in the incident-packed race - won by McLaren's Oscar Piastri - and in position to at least match his best-ever result of sixth, when racing was paused for a safety car restart at the Zandvoort Circuit.
Shortly afterwards, Lawson's Racing Bulls car was clipped by Williams' Carlos Sainz, forcing the Kiwi into the pits to repair his left rear tyre and dropping several places in the process.
On his team radio, Sainz blamed Lawson for the collision but it was the Spaniard who later copped a 10-second penalty, judged to have not given enough room to Lawson's car in front of him.
Liam Lawson Photo: Photosport
"It just sucks, sucks for both of us," said Lawson, who started eighth on the grid.
"It's obviously not my intention, but it's lap one on a restart.
"The rules are written as they are, we all know how they're written. So as much as we sometimes don't agree with it - I've been on the receiving end of it this year, I don't agree with it as well - that's how they are.
"For it to be his corner, he has to be ahead at the apex. He wasn't anywhere near that today, that's why he got a penalty for it, I'm guessing."
The result halts momentum for Lawson, who produced solid top 10 finishes in Hungary and Belgium before the world championship took a four-week break.
Piastri wins
Piastri's win opened up a 34-point championship lead as teammate and title rival Lando Norris saw his hopes go up in smoke.
Australian F1 driver Oscar Piastri celebrating after winning the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
On a day of drama, with Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc crashing out in separate incidents, McLaren were heading for a record-equalling fifth successive one-two win when Norris suffered late despair.
After saying he could smell smoke in the cockpit, the Briton slowed and retired from second place on lap 65 of 72 with very visible evidence then seen coming out of the back of his stricken car.
Home hero Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull with Racing Bulls' French rookie Isack Hadjar taking his first Formula 1 podium in third place for Racing Bulls and punching the air in delight.
Had Norris passed Piastri, the gap at the top would have been slashed to a mere two points. Second place would have expanded it to 16 but the blank instead catapulted Piastri to a lead of substantially more than a race win.
McLaren drivers Lando Norris (L) and Oscar Piastri Photo: photosport
With the McLarens so closely matched, and nine races remaining plus Saturday sprints, Norris now faces a major challenge after what could prove a decisive moment in the championship.
"I controlled the race when I needed to, and obviously it was incredibly unfortunate (for Norris) at the end," commented Piastri after the Australian's seventh win of the campaign.
"But I was in control at that moment and used the pace when I needed to."
The ninth career win equalled those of former F1 racer and compatriot Mark Webber, now Piastri's manager.
George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes with Alex Albon fifth for Williams and Oliver Bearman sixth for Haas after starting last and from the pitlane in a race with two safety car periods.
Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso gave Aston Martin a double points finish in seventh and eighth with Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda ninth and Esteban Ocon completing the top 10 for Haas.
Hadjar triumph
Hadjar provided a likely glimpse of the future as the French rookie stepped up to the Formula 1 podium for the first time.
Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Third place was a dream come true for the 20-year-old who became the fifth youngest driver to finish in the top three.
Hadjar is already on a fast track to promotion to the Red Bull senior team and his podium was in stark contrast to the result of Verstappen's current teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who finished ninth.
"It feels great. Max is someone I've been looking up to since my junior days," said Hadjar, who is of Algerian descent.
"The last five years have been outstanding. To share the track, spend most of the race behind him, being within two or three seconds the whole time, and share my first podium with him on his home soil as well, I think it's pretty cool."
The rookie, who has now scored 37 of his team's 60 point haul from 15 races, started fourth - with Verstappen third - and inherited the podium after Norris retired from second place with seven laps to go.
Lawson had praise for his younger teammate.
"I'm super happy for the team. Isack drove a great race and to be on the podium is exceptional," Lawson said.
"The team have been working very hard and it's so well deserved."
- RNZ / Reuters
