Zandvoort welcomed F1 back after the summer break with a day full of drama, crashes, and McLaren dominance. From red flag interruptions to Verstappen’s home heroics being overshadowed, day one delivered classic Dutch Grand Prix excitement. What unfolded during the opening practice sessions? Stay tuned with Supercars.com.GH to find out!
FP1
Lando Norris marked F1’s return from the summer break in perfect style, topping FP1 with a commanding 1:10.278 that put him 0.292 seconds clear of teammate Oscar Piastri. The session was dramatically interrupted when Kimi Antonelli beached his Mercedes in the gravel at Turn 9, triggering red flags and an early recovery operation.
The drama began early as Lewis Hamilton suffered a spectacular 360-degree spin, reporting “flat spots all round” after his pirouette. Yuki Tsunoda also had his own off-track moment before Antonelli’s more serious incident brought proceedings to a halt with just over 40 minutes remaining.
Lance Stroll impressed by claiming third for Aston Martin, 0.501s behind Norris, while teammate Fernando Alonso secured fourth in a strong showing for the British squad. Alex Albon rounded out the top five for Williams, ahead of home hero Max Verstappen, who could only manage sixth despite the passionate Dutch crowd support.
Post-session drama continued as Verstappen went off track during a practice start at Turn 1, becoming beached in the gravel after the chequered flag. Ferrari struggled significantly with Charles Leclerc declaring they were “miles off” as he and Hamilton languished in 14th and 15th respectively.
- Lando Norris McLaren 1:10.278
- Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.292s
- Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.501s
FP2
Norris completed a perfect Friday by topping FP2 with a blistering 1:09.890, though the session was marred by two red flag interruptions that significantly disrupted the running order. Fernando Alonso split the McLaren drivers by finishing second, just 0.087s behind Norris, while Piastri claimed third.
The first red flag came after Lance Stroll suffered a heavy crash at the banked Turn 3, with the Canadian confirming he was okay over the radio. The second stoppage occurred when Alex Albon damaged his Williams front wing against the barriers at Turn 1, becoming beached in the gravel.
Between the incidents, drivers managed to find significant pace improvements as conditions improved. Nico Hulkenberg briefly topped the timesheets for Kick Sauber before Alonso and Norris lowered the benchmark on soft tires. Hamilton endured another difficult moment with his second 360-degree spin of the day at Turn 9.
George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, while Verstappen could only manage fifth, 0.588s behind Norris’s pace-setting time. The gap highlighted McLaren’s continued dominance as they maintained their championship momentum after the summer break.
- Lando Norris McLaren 1:10.278
- Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.087s
- Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.089s
Can McLaren sustain this commanding form heading into Saturday’s crucial sessions? Join Supercars.com.GH tomorrow to find out!