Lando Norris took everyone by surprise at the Dutch Grand Prix, securing pole position ahead of local favorite Max Verstappen by more than three-tenths of a second. This result is a significant achievement for Norris and McLaren, highlighting their strong form at Zandvoort.
McLaren Leads the Way
Norris was in control throughout Q3, setting an impressive early lap of 1m10.074s. This time put him ahead of both his teammate, Oscar Piastri, and Verstappen. Despite the pressure, Norris stayed calm and focused.
Verstappen, known for delivering under pressure, improved on his final lap and posted a time of 1m10.029s, helped by a strong middle sector. For a moment, it seemed like he might take pole, but Norris wasn’t done yet. He delivered an outstanding final sector, becoming the only driver to dip below 1m10s with a time of 1m09.673s, leaving Verstappen 0.356s behind.
Piastri Performs Well But Can’t Match Norris
Oscar Piastri continued to impress with his strong performance, though he couldn’t quite keep up with Norris or Verstappen in the final runs. Despite setting his best time in the last attempt, he lost ground in the middle sector and finished third on the grid, 0.499s behind his teammate.
Mercedes and Ferrari: Mixed Results
George Russell, who showed good pace during Friday’s practice for Mercedes, managed to secure fourth place. This was a solid result for Russell, especially considering the challenging conditions, where drivers struggled with tire temperature on the cool, rain-affected track.
Lewis Hamilton had a tougher session, failing to make it past Q2 and ending up in 13th place. The tricky conditions and lack of grip prevented him from advancing further.
Charles Leclerc was the leading Ferrari in sixth place, just behind Sergio Perez, who took fifth. Leclerc’s final lap in Q2 knocked his teammate, Carlos Sainz, out of the top ten, with Sainz finishing in 11th.
Aston Martin and Williams: Strategic Choices
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll opted to use only one set of new tires in Q3. Alonso ended up in seventh, while Stroll took ninth. Alex Albon slotted in between them in eighth place, continuing his run of strong performances for Williams.
Logan Sargeant, Albon’s teammate, couldn’t take part in qualifying after a crash in FP3. His car couldn’t be repaired in time.
The Rest of the Field
In Q1, Sergio Perez narrowly avoided elimination, jumping from the drop zone to lead the segment after using an extra set of soft tires. This move pushed Daniel Ricciardo out, ending his session early. Esteban Ocon also failed to progress, finishing 17th as the track conditions improved for others. Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, along with Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, were also eliminated in the early stages.
The stage is set for an interesting race at Zandvoort, with Norris on pole and Verstappen looking to impress his home fans. It promises to be a tough battle at the front.