Anthony Davidson believes Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris made the same costly mistake during the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint, arguing that both drivers pushed too aggressively in turbulent air during the opening stages before paying the price later in the 24-lap race at Zandvoort.
The pattern became particularly noticeable as the Sprint developed. Lando Norris initially chased Mercedes race leader George Russell before his Medium tyres faded and Charles Leclerc swept past to claim second place for Ferrari. Further back, Lewis Hamilton spent the early laps putting pressure on Max Verstappen but later lost ground to the Red Bull ahead, prompting Davidson to draw a clear parallel between the two situations.
Anthony Davidson sees the same mistake from Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris
Analysing the Sprint for Sky Sports F1, former Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson was struck by the way both Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris attacked at the start. Norris immediately tried to remain within striking distance of George Russell, while Hamilton attempted to put Max Verstappen under pressure and find an opportunity to move ahead.
Neither driver was able to complete an early overtake. As the race approached its halfway point, Hamilton then dropped approximately two seconds behind Max Verstappen, a change in pace that surprised Davidson given how closely the Ferrari had been following the Red Bull during the opening laps.
Davidson noted that Hamilton had initially been harassing Max Verstappen in much the same way Norris had pressured George Russell at the front. He suggested that both drivers may have spent too much performance too early while running in turbulent air, with the consequences beginning to appear as the Sprint progressed.
The theory was that pushing hard behind another car in the opening phase had placed additional demands on the tyres. Davidson therefore viewed the later drop-off from both cars as potentially linked to how aggressively they had approached the start rather than simply to a sudden change in outright car performance.
Lewis Hamilton cannot turn Ferrari pace into a move on Max Verstappen
For Lewis Hamilton, the frustration was that Ferrari’s SF-26 had already demonstrated competitive Sprint pace through Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque was able to move forward and ultimately finish second, but Hamilton remained trapped behind Max Verstappen as Zandvoort’s limited overtaking opportunities prevented him from exploiting the car in the same way.
The early pressure on the Red Bull never developed into a completed pass. Once Hamilton began losing touch around the middle of the race, the opportunity became even harder to create, reinforcing just how important tyre condition and track position were during a Sprint with relatively little overtaking among the leading group.
Ferrari’s contrasting experience between its two cars was already evident in the Dutch GP Sprint result, where Charles Leclerc passed Lando Norris for second. The Scuderia’s performance also highlighted how much the outcome depended on managing the tyres well enough to retain attacking potential into the closing stages.
Hamilton’s difficulties with the Soft compound and the SF-26 over the Zandvoort weekend have also formed part of a broader pattern examined in our analysis of Ferrari’s contrasting SF-26 behaviour.
Lando Norris loses second as his Medium tyres fade
Lando Norris faced a similar problem at the front. The McLaren driver initially focused on challenging George Russell, who had started from pole, but he was unable to create a genuine opportunity to take the lead. As the Sprint moved into its closing stages, Norris’ rear tyres began to lose performance.
That deterioration opened the door for Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver recognised his opportunity and overtook Norris for second, producing the only successful pass among the leading contenders during an otherwise relatively uneventful 24-lap race.
The move was particularly significant because Charles Leclerc had started on the Soft C4 Pirelli tyre, while Norris and George Russell had selected the Medium C3. Rather than fading first on the softer compound, Leclerc retained enough performance to attack late in the race as Norris encountered worsening rear grip.
The Ferrari driver’s ability to make the alternative compound work became one of the central stories of the Sprint, and more detail on his Zandvoort performances can be found in our dedicated Charles Leclerc coverage.
Kimi Antonelli adds late pressure on Lando Norris
Once Charles Leclerc had moved through, Lando Norris was not yet safe in third. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli closed on the McLaren during the final laps and launched several attempts to take the final podium position.
Norris managed to resist the Mercedes driver’s pressure and reached the chequered flag in third, securing six points from the Sprint. Kimi Antonelli finished only 0.385 seconds behind, but unlike Charles Leclerc, the Italian could not convert his late pace advantage into a completed overtake.
The result placed further attention on McLaren’s tyre behaviour. Tyre management had been regarded as one of the team’s major strengths during its recent championship-winning years, but the situation has become more problematic with the MCL40.
McLaren opted for a shorter wheelbase than its rivals when developing its 2026 car, and that philosophy has coincided with the tyre-wear difficulties experienced this season. The team has confirmed that it does not intend to continue with the same approach next year as it looks to address those problems.
Tyre management emerges as crucial factor in Dutch GP Sprint
Davidson’s assessment connects two apparently separate races. Lewis Hamilton was attempting to attack Max Verstappen, while Lando Norris was focused on George Russell, but both drivers spent the opening laps pushing behind another car without gaining the position they wanted.
By the second half of the Sprint, neither had the same momentum. Hamilton unexpectedly lost ground to Max Verstappen, while Norris’ rear tyre performance deteriorated enough for Charles Leclerc to attack successfully and Kimi Antonelli to apply further pressure before the finish.
That does not mean the two cars suffered identical technical problems. Davidson’s point was specifically about the way both drivers approached the opening phase and the possible consequences of pushing too hard, too soon while following another car closely.
For Ferrari, the comparison is particularly interesting because Charles Leclerc’s race demonstrated that the SF-26 had enough performance to gain a position late in the Sprint. Lewis Hamilton was unable to do the same after spending the opening phase trying to find a way past Max Verstappen, leaving tyre preservation and track position as decisive elements in their contrasting outcomes.
More news and analysis surrounding the seven-time world champion’s Zandvoort weekend is available in our dedicated Lewis Hamilton section, while deeper coverage of the SF-26 and its tyre behaviour can be found in Ferrari technical analysis.
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