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Russell wins at Zandvoort
George Russell won the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race from pole position at Zandvoort on Saturday, taking the chequered flag 1.360 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc with Lando Norris third and Kimi Antonelli fourth.
“took the chequered flag 1.360 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc”
Reuters said Russell led every lap and took the chequered flag as rain came down just as the otherwise dry race was finishing, with Hamilton seventh behind Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen fifth and sixth.
The Guardian described the sprint as a 24-lap dash around the seaside circuit of Zandvoort and said Antonelli crossed the line in fourth while extending his lead by three points to 53.
Reuters reported that Kimi Antonelli extended his Formula One championship lead over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton to 53 points, with Antonelli on 224 points to Hamilton's 171 and Russell's 168.
In the same Reuters report, Russell said, "A great start to the weekend. If there was one more lap it would have potentially been a very different end to the race," as he managed his tyres through high-speed corners.
Quotes and points pressure
Lando Norris, who started second, told Reuters, "It would have been nice to have been a little bit faster today, but Charles was just too quick," and said, "We’re not quick enough and we have some work to do."
Reuters also quoted Russell explaining his race plan: "I knew if there were going to be any overtakes, they were going to be towards the end of the race," and said he wanted to manage his tyres and keep "a bit more in the tank come the end."
The Guardian reported that Toto Wolff was happy for Russell and quoted him saying, "It’s not a lot of points but it’s a good boost of confidence."
The Guardian added that Russell shaved three points off Antonelli’s lead to sit 56 back ahead of Sunday’s main race, while Antonelli extended his lead at the top of the standings by three points to 53.
In the Reuters account of the championship fight, Hamilton finished seventh behind Piastri and Verstappen, leaving Antonelli's closest title rival on 171 points while Russell moved to 168.
What happens next
With qualifying for Sunday's race following later on Saturday, Reuters said the big points were still to come in Sunday's sold-out grand prix and noted Zandvoort's last appearance on the F1 calendar for the foreseeable future.
“Qualifying for Sunday's race will follow later on Saturday.”
The Guardian framed the sprint as not living long in the memory and said overtaking was much tougher than elsewhere this season, making qualifying especially important, with rain a potential factor.
Reuters reported that Russell's third sprint victory of the season came after the August break, while the Guardian said the 28-year-old returned from the sport’s summer shutdown determined to trust his instincts to chase down Antonelli.
In the Reuters standings update, Antonelli led with 224 points to Hamilton's 171 and Russell's 168, and the report said Hamilton was Antonelli's closest title rival after 11 grands prix and five sprint races.
The Guardian said rain could have an impact and described Russell rounding the final corner as the rain falls to win, with Leclerc, Norris, Antonelli, Piastri, Verstappen, Hamilton and Gasly in the points too.