Lando Norris suffered a dramatic late engine failure at the Dutch Grand Prix as McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri took a major step towards the title.
Pole-sitter Piastri was cruising towards a lights-to-flag victory at Zandvoort, holding off championship rival Norris before the British driver reported smoke from his cockpit seven laps from the end and swiftly came to a halt.
A dejected Norris sat with his head between his knees on the bank at the side of the track as his title hopes suffered a massive blow, with Piastri opening up a 34-point lead with nine rounds of the championship remaining.
It was also another miserable afternoon for Lewis Hamilton, who began the weekend by saying he wanted to enjoy racing for Ferrari after suggesting they should ditch him when he started and finished 12th in Hungary before the summer break.
He was running seventh when, in light rain, he crashed into the barriers and suffered his first retirement for the Scuderia.
Worse was to come for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc collided with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli on lap 53, himself ending up in the barriers at turn three as the Italian team suffered a double elimination.
Max Verstappen delighted the home support by finishing second, and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar secured a first career podium ahead of George Russell in fourth.
Verstappen was the only one of the top 10 to start on soft tyres, and it offered him significantly more grip in the opening corners.
Norris held the home favourite off at the first bend, but Verstappen charged around the outside at turn two and kept the advantage despite a wild slide on the run into the banked turn three as Piastri pulled away at the front.
Norris had lost sight of his title rival but soon reeled in Verstappen, steaming round the outside of turn one to regain second on lap nine.
“Nice job, let’s go get Oscar,” said race engineer Will Joseph on the radio.
Threatened rain was beginning to get harder, but Piastri was comfortably managing his lead until Hamilton’s crash on lap 23.
TOP-10 – DUTCH GRAND PRIX
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Max Verstappen
3. Isack Hadjar
4. George Russell
5. Alex Albon
6. Ollie Bearman
7. Lance Stroll
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Esteban Ocon
The seven-time world champion had a huge amount of understeer around the steep turn three and slid on the painted banking into the barriers, bringing out the safety car.
“I’m so sorry guys,” a dejected Hamilton said.
All of the top five pitted, with Leclerc – who had stopped a lap earlier – losing fifth to Russell.
Norris had a slow stop as he had a run-in with his front jack man, sending him stumbling back towards the garage. McLaren confirmed the pit member was OK.
At the restart, Verstappen challenged Norris again, but the British driver held firm as Piastri again kept his lead with minimal fuss.
Leclerc and Russell came together on lap 33 as the Ferrari man completed an audacious move on the inside of turn 12, with contact between the pair, before defending fiercely to keep fifth place at turn one.
The race was trickling towards an inevitable conclusion, but Antonelli ran deep at turn three and into Leclerc, dumping the Ferrari driver into the wall. The 19-year-old received a 10-second penalty.
Another safety car was brought out, but Norris could once again make no impression on Piastri.
However, just as it appeared McLaren were set for a record-equalling fifth successive one-two, Norris suffered his heartbreaking failure.
There were heads in hands on the McLaren pit wall, and Norris now has a huge mountain to climb if he is to win his maiden title.
