Charles Leclerc made an immediate impact at the start of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, gaining two positions on the opening lap to take Ferrari from sixth on the grid to fourth place at Zandvoort. With track position particularly valuable around the Dutch circuit, the Monegasque delivered exactly the kind of start Ferrari needed after qualifying left both SF-26 cars on the third row.
While Lando Norris converted pole position into the lead with a strong launch, the order behind the McLaren changed immediately. George Russell made a poor start from the front row, allowing Kimi Antonelli to sweep around the outside and move into second place for Mercedes. Charles Leclerc was another major beneficiary of the opening exchanges, emerging from the first lap two places higher than where he had started.
Charles Leclerc jumps from sixth to fourth at Zandvoort
Starting sixth meant Charles Leclerc faced the prospect of spending the early phase of the race behind several closely matched cars. Instead, Ferrari’s number 16 gained two positions almost immediately and moved into fourth, dramatically improving his track position before the Dutch Grand Prix had begun to settle.
The significance of the gain is particularly clear at Zandvoort. Passing opportunities are limited compared with many Formula 1 circuits, so recovering two places at the start avoids the need to create those overtakes later under normal racing conditions.
It also placed Charles Leclerc much closer to the leading group from the beginning of the 72-lap race. Lando Norris led after making a clean getaway, with Kimi Antonelli moving into second following George Russell’s difficult launch. Russell dropped behind his Mercedes team-mate, leaving Charles Leclerc immediately positioned behind the leading trio.
Ferrari gains valuable track position immediately
Ferrari had entered the Grand Prix knowing that qualifying fifth and sixth had made its task more complicated. The team’s race pace had nevertheless offered encouragement during the weekend, meaning the first priority was to avoid becoming trapped further back in the field.
Charles Leclerc’s opening lap changed that picture straight away. Moving from sixth to fourth gave Ferrari a stronger platform from which to approach the rest of the race and put the Monegasque within reach of the cars fighting at the front.
The early gain does not by itself determine how competitive Ferrari will be across the full race distance. Tyre performance, degradation, strategy and the evolution of the gaps between the leading cars will all influence the final outcome. But in the opening moments at Zandvoort, Charles Leclerc had already achieved something Ferrari badly needed: he turned a third-row starting position into a place directly behind the top three.
With Lando Norris leading and Mercedes occupying second and third after Kimi Antonelli’s strong start, Charles Leclerc began Ferrari’s Dutch Grand Prix pursuit from fourth rather than sixth — a valuable two-place gain before the race had even completed its first lap.
You can watch the start and the first lap of the Dutch Grand Prix here.
Leave a Reply