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Kimi Antonelli wins at Monza. He started 19th and takes the chequered flag first in front of his home crowd, with Russell second and Verstappen third. A remarkable afternoon.

Piastri gets the same message from his pit wall after almost pushing Norris off the road in a near miss between the two McLarens. They are fighting over fourth. Verstappen is third and we are into the last lap.

Just keep it clean Kimi, no risk, comes over the radio, because the move he made was an enormous one. Antonelli leads with two laps left. Behind them the McLarens are having a scrap of their own, running off the track and back on again.

Keep it clean, comes the message from the Mercedes pit wall. And then Antonelli goes through on Russell and takes the lead of the Italian Grand Prix.

A big moment. Antonelli goes into the gravel while trying to get past Russell, but he keeps the car going and rejoins. The gap is 1.8 seconds.

Put this in context. Antonelli started this grand prix 19th on the grid and is now second, closing on the leader. And Russell is reporting vibrations from his tyres, which is the last thing he needs with his team mate this close.

Could this really happen. Antonelli is reeling in his team mate lap after lap and the gap is down to 2.8 seconds. He was sixth at the restart and is now chasing the win in front of his home crowd.

Hamilton is sixth and has been sitting behind Norris for several laps now, unable to find a way past.

It is hard work for Verstappen but he is back ahead of Piastri. Further up the road Antonelli sits five seconds behind Russell and is the quicker of the two Mercedes.

A proper scrap between Verstappen and Piastri. The McLaren takes the place back, and when Verstappen tried to respond he locked up and ran deep. He is fourth again.

The stewards take no action against Russell over the yellow flag incident. He keeps his position and the race stays as it is.

The stewards are looking at Russell over an incident under yellow flags. Nothing has been decided yet, but a ten second time penalty is the usual outcome for that kind of offence, which would change the whole race.

Verstappen takes third and looks to have the better pace of the two right now, lapping quicker than Antonelli ahead of him. The Red Bull seems happier since the tyre change.

Antonelli moves into second place. Behind him Verstappen goes around the outside of Hamilton and takes fourth. The Mercedes rookie has now recovered every place he lost at the pit stop.

Antonelli is by Hamilton and up to third, with Verstappen right in his wheel tracks looking to do the same. Hamilton has yet to make his stop.

Verstappen makes another place and clears Norris. The striking thing this afternoon is how little pace McLaren have shown. Neither car has been able to run with the leaders.

The fresh tyres are working. Antonelli is already back up to fourth and Verstappen has moved up to sixth. The Italian has been the fastest man on track since the restart.

The pair rejoin down the order, Antonelli sixth and Verstappen seventh, both now on fresh tyres. The drivers ahead of them still have to stop.

Antonelli and Verstappen both take the cheap stop under the virtual safety car. Russell stays out and inherits the lead, but he still has his stop to make. The race has split in two.

Both Aston Martins are out. Lance Stroll stops out on the circuit and the virtual safety car is deployed. That is a cheap pit stop for anyone who has not stopped yet, so expect the strategies to break open now.

Fernando Alonso pulls into the pits and parks the Aston Martin. He is the second retirement of the afternoon after Leclerc.

Antonelli gets a second warning, this time with the reasoning spelled out, that their fighting is letting Verstappen back into it. And that is exactly what has happened. The Red Bull is right with them again.

The pit wall has had enough. Both Mercedes drivers are told to cool it, because every time they trade the lead they lose time and Verstappen closes back in. Antonelli sits second and does not look ready to settle for it.

The polesitter has slipped to seventh. Gasly is not giving up though and is right with Norris for sixth place.

Russell has the lead back. That is the sixth change of leader since the restart, with Verstappen and both Mercedes drivers trading the position lap after lap.

We are on lap 21 of 53 and the field is still 19 cars strong. Leclerc is the only retirement, out of his home race with the lap two crash.

Antonelli leads again. With two identical cars this close together it is turning into a game of energy management, and whoever has the deployment left at the end of the straight comes out in front.

Russell is straight back past his team mate and leads again. With the slipstream this strong at Monza the lead is changing hands almost every lap between the two Mercedes drivers.

Antonelli is past Russell and into the lead. The 20 year old is leading his home grand prix in front of the Monza crowd, having been sixth at the restart. Russell second, Verstappen third.

Verstappen is on the radio again complaining about the rear of the Red Bull and how difficult it is to drive. The same problem he has been reporting all weekend, and it explains why he could not hold off the two Mercedes.

Antonelli is past Verstappen as well and moves into second place. Mercedes lead the race one two with Russell in front, and Antonelli has come all the way from the back of the top ten since the restart. Verstappen third.

The lead changes hands again. Russell gets back past Verstappen and leads the Italian Grand Prix, with Antonelli still close behind in third.

Russell is glued to the back of Verstappen, and running in their tow has brought Antonelli right onto Russell as well. The lead of the race is now a three car fight. Superb stuff at Monza.

Straight past Piastri as well. Antonelli is now third and has taken four places since the restart. Verstappen leads from Russell, Piastri fourth, Hamilton fifth.

Antonelli keeps coming and passes Hamilton for fourth, dropping the Ferrari to fifth. Piastri is up to third. Verstappen leads from Russell.

A superb move and Verstappen is through on Russell for the lead of the Italian Grand Prix. Russell second, Hamilton third.

Verstappen is right on the tail of Russell, four tenths behind the leader and looking for a way past.

Antonelli is on the move again and takes fifth from Gasly, who drops to sixth. The Alpine is going backwards after leading the early laps.

Something for the tifosi to cheer. Lewis Hamilton comes past Gasly and moves up to third. Russell leads from Verstappen, with Gasly now fourth.

Kimi Antonelli has already climbed to sixth. Norris, running right behind him, came close to finding a way through but Antonelli defended hard to keep the place.

Verstappen makes it look simple and moves past Gasly into second place. Russell still leads, Gasly drops to third.

A chaotic but proper race start at the second attempt. Verstappen did not get away well and lost out to Franco Colapinto, but took the place straight back around the outside into the chicane. Colapinto then ran well wide later in the lap. Russell leads from Gasly and Verstappen, with Hamilton fourth and Piastri fighting him for the place.

The restart is a standing start, but Yuki Tsunoda was not properly lined up in his grid box. The start was aborted and the field is sent round for another formation lap before a fresh attempt.

The drivers are lined up and ready to go again. Russell leads from Gasly, with Piastri fifth and Norris sixth. Leclerc is out.

Charles Leclerc crashed heavily on lap two while battling Oscar Piastri. He climbed out himself but sat on the ground for some time with the medical team. No word yet on his condition. Russell leads from Gasly, Piastri fifth and Norris sixth. Restart expected around 15:40.

Tsunoda, Albon, Bottas, Pérez, Alonso and Stroll are out.

Gasly fastest, Verstappen second, Norris third.

Hülkenberg, Albon, Bottas, Alonso, Stroll and Pérez are currently in the drop zone.

Pierre Gasly is currently fastest, with Alpine running competitively at the top.

Qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix has officially begun at Monza.

SQ2 is complete, and McLaren looked absolutely on fire. Oscar Piastri topped the session with Lando Norris right behind him, the pair showing seriously strong pace as the track continued to evolve.

For Liam Lawson, the session ended in frustration. His former teammate Arvid Lindblad forced him wide in a tight moment, pushing Lawson out of contention. As a result, he misses out on SQ3.

A massive moment for Kimi Antonelli in Sprint Qualifying: the Mercedes rookie flew off at Turn 13 and blasted through the gravel at full speed. He somehow kept the car pointing forward, but the impact through the gravel trap looked brutal.

The big question now is how much damage he’s done to the floor — the kind of off‑track excursion that can easily tear up the edges or rip away crucial aero components. The team will be checking everything the moment he’s back in the box.

Sprint Qualifying is underway and SQ1 is in full flow. Drivers are pushing immediately as the track continues to evolve, with grip levels improving lap by lap. The field is tight, margins are tiny, and every mistake counts in this short session.

Nina Gademan sets the pace in Free Practice for F1 Academy, topping the session in tricky conditions.
Two red flags interrupted the running, costing valuable track time but Nina stayed sharp and delivered when it mattered.

Follow the full story and more F1 Academy coverage on our RNT page Through Her Eyes, where we highlight the women shaping the future of motorsport.

The first Free Practice session has wrapped up without any incidents, and the pace at the top was immediately impressive. Kimi Antonelli set the benchmark as the only driver dipping into the 1:12s, clocking a strong 1:12.949.

Lando Norris finished second, just over a tenth behind, with George Russell taking third — also a little more than a tenth off Antonelli’s time.

Max Verstappen ended FP1 down in P11, unable to find the same rhythm as the frontrunners during this opening session.

A clean start to the weekend, but already plenty of storylines emerging.

The first Free Practice session for Formula 1 is underway, and drivers are immediately dealing with challenging conditions. The track is still wet from earlier showers, but several sections are slowly beginning to dry — creating that difficult in‑between phase where grip levels change corner by corner.

It’s extremely tricky out there, and teams are carefully managing their run plans. The chance of rain over the next hour sits at 60%, so conditions may shift again before the session ends.

A huge wave of fans is making its way to the circuit this morning as The Final Lap Dutch Grand Prix weekend kicks into full motion. Trains are still arriving one after another, unloading thousands of supporters dressed in orange, while an endless stream of bicycles continues to flow toward the gates — a true Zandvoort classic.

It’s an impressive logistical operation: public transport running at maximum capacity, volunteers guiding the crowds, and the circuit staff keeping everything moving smoothly. The atmosphere is already buzzing, and the grandstands are filling up fast.

The Final Lap has officially begun, and the Dutch fans are showing up in full force.

The Final Lap weekend is officially underway at Zandvoort, marking the start of the last-ever Dutch Grand Prix. As the circuit wakes up and fans begin to arrive, we’re opening our fan wall for everyone who wants to share their message, memories or support.

You can leave your fan message and follow all the latest updates on our dedicated Final Lap page:
https://rnt-motorsports.com/the-final-lap-2026/

Throughout the weekend, we’ll keep this live blog active with continuous updates — including real-time coverage during all F1 and F1 Academy sessions.
Stay close, stay tuned, and enjoy every moment of this historic Dutch Grand Prix.

During the press conference, Max Verstappen confirmed that his new long‑term contract with Red Bull Racing still allows him to compete in GT events whenever the Formula 1 calendar makes room for it.
That means iconic endurance races like the 24 Hours, or NLS rounds at the Nürburgring, remain possible for the four‑time World Champion.

For many fans, it’s a major relief — Max won’t be limited to F1 alone, and we can continue enjoying his talent across multiple racing disciplines.

Max Verstappen has officially extended his contract with Red Bull through 2030, securing another four years with the team. The announcement comes during the Dutch GP weekend and marks one of the biggest long‑term commitments in recent F1 history.

The Dutch Grand Prix atmosphere is heating up in Zandvoort as teams roll in with trucks full of parts and equipment, preparing their cars for a demanding race weekend. Today brought heavy rain and the coming days look just as unstable, adding an extra layer of tension to the build‑up. This Cadillac truck is one of many supporting the massive logistical operation behind the Grand Prix.

Zandvoort is buzzing as preparations intensify for the final Dutch Grand Prix, The Final Lap. RNT is on‑site throughout the weekend with continuous live updates, fresh reporting and real‑time coverage across our socials and website.