F1 back in action after the summer break

After three long weekends without a race, Formula 1 returns with the Dutch Grand Prix — the final standalone event of the season before a relentless run of double-headers and triple-headers. There are 12 rounds remaining and more than 300 points on offer, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli leading the way.

Hamilton urges Ferrari to apply the pressure

Lewis Hamilton has urged his Ferrari team to "apply the pressure" to title rival Kimi Antonelli as he chases a record eighth drivers' championship. Antonelli leads the 41-year-old Hamilton by 50 points at the top of the standings, with a huge experience gap between the chasing veteran and the Italian, who turns 20 two days after Sunday's race.

"He's obviously very fast. He's doing an amazing job," Hamilton said. "I'm not really looking at any weaknesses because I don't think he has shown any this season. I think we've got to just work hard to just continue to apply the pressure." Hamilton is hoping upgrades from Ferrari — some of which arrive in Zandvoort — can aid his cause, noting: "Mercedes are still the leaders. McLaren are now up in there and obviously Red Bull are now super quick so there are four teams that are all very close."

Antonelli, whose lead could have been larger were it not for an engine failure in Barcelona and a wheel-guard failure at Silverstone, said his biggest opponent "is also myself." He added: "I just need to keep delivering the results, keep doing my job the best way I can without worrying about the championship."

McLaren's resurgence

Mercedes won the first six races of 2026, but the picture closed up. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton won in Barcelona and Charles Leclerc at Silverstone before McLaren took their first win of the season in Budapest via an upgrade package now being completed at Zandvoort. With Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren will look to mount a consistent challenge to Mercedes.

Honda's power unit upgrade

Aston Martin introduced a significant chassis upgrade in Hungary — earning Fernando Alonso a first Q2 appearance — and this weekend Honda debuts an updated power unit aimed at incremental gains. Given the nature of this year's regulations, it may take time to optimise, but it should boost the team's competitiveness.

Cadillac's new team principal

Off the track, Cadillac replaced Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski as Team Principal with immediate effect, a move CEO Dan Towriss said was made with the team's next phase in mind. Budkowski, whose experience spans Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine and the FIA, visited the Silverstone factory on Monday and will be in the Netherlands this weekend.

Zandvoort's farewell

This weekend marks the final visit to Zandvoort before it drops off the calendar, having extended its hosting contract by one extra year. The high-speed, banked coastal circuit hosts its first Sprint weekend, with rain in the forecast across all three days. It is also one of just four current circuits Hamilton has yet to win at — and with the race unlikely to return soon, he is "massively driven" to conquer it.