Oscar Piastri accomplished a rare Formula 1 grand slam at the recent Dutch Grand Prix, a feat only 26 drivers have achieved before. This marks McLaren's first grand slam in 27 years.
The Achievement
Piastri's dominant performance included:
- Pole Position: Secured by a mere 0.012s over teammate Lando Norris.
- Led Every Lap: Maintained the lead throughout the race, despite three safety car interventions.
- Fastest Lap: Set the quickest lap on hard tyres, defying expectations.
- Race Victory: Converted pole into a commanding win.
A Rare Feat for McLaren
Piastri's grand slam is only the sixth in McLaren's history, a surprisingly low number compared to rivals:
- Ferrari: 17 grand slams
- Red Bull: 9 grand slams
- Mercedes & Lotus: 8 grand slams each (Lotus largely thanks to Jim Clark).
Among current drivers, Lewis Hamilton has six grand slams, Max Verstappen five, while Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc each have one.
McLaren's Past Grand Slams
All five previous McLaren grand slams were achieved by F1 legends Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen.
1989 Spanish GP – Ayrton Senna
Senna desperately needed a win to keep his title hopes against Alain Prost alive. He took pole, led every lap, and finished 27 seconds ahead of Gerhard Berger, securing a crucial victory in Jerez.
1990 Monaco GP – Ayrton Senna
In a championship battle between McLaren and Ferrari, Senna, a Monaco specialist, claimed pole. After a red flag restart, he pulled away from rivals, leading every lap to secure his fourth Monaco win, despite easing off in the final laps to save his engine.
1990 Italian GP – Ayrton Senna
With the title fight narrowing to Senna and Prost, Senna took pole at Monza. He comfortably fended off challenges from Gerhard Berger, Jean Alesi, and Prost, leading throughout and setting the fastest lap by a tenth of a second.
1998 Brazilian GP – Mika Hakkinen
Hakkinen continued his perfect season start after winning the 1997 finale and 1998 Australian GP. He dominated qualifying in Sao Paulo, taking pole by 0.665s over David Coulthard. McLaren achieved a 1-2 finish, with Hakkinen leading every lap and setting the fastest lap, well ahead of Michael Schumacher.
1998 Monaco GP – Mika Hakkinen
Hakkinen secured pole again in Monaco. He and David Coulthard quickly built a lead, trading fastest laps until Coulthard's engine failed. Hakkinen maintained his dominance, leading all laps and securing the fastest lap in an attritional race where only 11 cars finished.