Jolyon Palmer predicts whether Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris will win the Dutch Grand Prix

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After a much-needed summer break in the Formula 1 calendar, all 20 drivers return to the track this weekend at Zandvoort.

The Dutch Grand Prix only returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021 and has been dominated by hometown hero Max Verstappen in that time.

Only the legendary Jim Clark has won more Dutch Grand Prix in F1 history than Verstappen, four for Clark compared to Verstappen’s three. But last year saw a new driver add their name to the list of winners in the Netherlands.

McLaren driver Lando Norris drove superbly last season, overtaking Verstappen and opening up an impressive gap on the four-time world champion as he took the chequered flag.

It made a small dent in his lead in the drivers’ championship, and while the Red Bull star’s lead was too large for Norris to overcome, this season, he goes into the weekend in a far more positive position.

Norris is nine points behind teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings, and McLaren’s pace advantage over the rest of the field means that most races between now and Abu Dhabi should come down to which driver executes their weekend better.

Jolyon Palmer and Alex Jacques have now made their predictions for Sunday’s race, and with Andrea Stella hinting at changes to McLaren’s papaya rules, it could be a seriously exciting Grand Prix for fans in attendance at Zandvoort.

READ MORE: F1 Dutch Grand Prix 2025: How to watch, schedule and weather as two drivers announced to make their return

Jolyon Palmer predicts Oscar Piastri to beat Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix

Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast, Jacques was asked to predict who would win the Dutch Grand Prix and said: “I will go first with a Lando Norris victory ahead of Oscar Piastri, cutting it down to two points in the championship. What a barn burner. Third at his home race, Max Verstappen.”

Palmer then gave his verdict and explained: “I’ll flip the McLarens around. Piastri wins, Norris second, but Verstappen takes third at his home race.

“I’ve fallen for it too many times this year already.

“I keep thinking Norris is going to do it because when you take the last year’s form, there were only four qualifying that he didn’t beat Piastri.

“But this year, I think Oscar’s just refined, and to be honest, it could be easily either one of them.

“But I’ve said too many times, Lando and I got it wrong this year. So I’m going to go for Oscar and probably get it wrong that way instead.”

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Dutch Grand Prix including Prost and Piquet’s drama

Oscar Piastri describes what he’s thinking when going wheel-to-wheel with Lando Norris

Piastri and Norris may only be separated by a handful of points, but they’ve not fought that closely on track this season.

Norris immediately apologised for crashing into Piastri at the Canadian Grand Prix, with the Australian getting away with only minor damage and extending his advantage in the championship as a result.

Piastri has been brave on the brakes in Austria and more recently in Hungary, trying to pass Norris.

At the Red Bull Ring, Norris had the advantage across the weekend and deservedly won the race; however, at the Hungaroring, a strategy gamble earned the British driver a much-needed victory.

Piastri appears to be far more willing to make a late lunge on his teammate, and even his strategy calls in Hungary were based on Norris rather than Charles Leclerc.

That’s likely how the season will play out until the final race, and fans will be hoping that there’s still something to play for by the time the F1 travelling circus reaches Abu Dhabi in December.