George Russell's Dutch Grand Prix record has a frustrating shape to it. He is almost always quick on Saturday, and Zandvoort has rarely let him turn that into the Sunday result it deserves. Two weekends are the exception, and the more recent one is the more complete.
Six starts, two podiums, one retirement and a couple of races that got away. Here is how it breaks down.
Podium at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
The 2022 Dutch Grand Prix is the jewel of his record. Russell qualified sixth in his first year at Mercedes, kept his head through a late safety car and came away with second, split from the win only by Max Verstappen. It was the sort of opportunistic drive that marked him out as a future team leader.
That was his only Zandvoort podium for four years, until 2026 added a second. There is still no pole or win on the sheet to sit alongside them.
The pattern that runs through the rest is a good grid slot that does not survive the race. In 2023 he started third and finished 17th after his strategy unravelled. In 2024 and 2025 he qualified inside the top five both times and came away with seventh and fourth.
2026: a sprint win and a second podium
The best Zandvoort weekend of Russell's career came in 2026. He won Saturday's sprint, qualified second for the Grand Prix and finished third behind Lando Norris and teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Fifteen points from the Sunday, eight from the sprint, and the first time he has left the Netherlands with more than one result worth keeping. It also ended a run of three years in which he had gone backwards from his grid slot every time.
George Russell's Dutch GP record year by year
Compare the grid and finish columns and the theme leaps out. More often than not, Russell has gone backwards on Sunday.
| Year | Team | Grid | Finish | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Williams | 11th | DNF (gearbox) | 0 |
| 2022 | Mercedes | 6th | 2nd | 18 |
| 2023 | Mercedes | 3rd | 17th | 0 |
| 2024 | Mercedes | 4th | 7th | 6 |
| 2025 | Mercedes | 5th | 4th | 12 |
| 2026 | Mercedes | 2nd | 3rd | 15 |
From Williams to the front
Russell's first Zandvoort start, back in 2021, came in a Williams and ended with a gearbox failure and no points. Everything since has been in Mercedes silver.
George Russell's Dutch Grand Prix record is no longer a case of one good day. Two podiums, a sprint win and qualifying pace that keeps arriving. A cleaner Sunday in the years between is all that separates this from a genuinely strong record.
