Impressive Norris SMASHES Verstappen's...

Impressive Norris SMASHES Verstappen’s lap time for pole in… Read More

Lando Norris secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, beating Max Verstappen by more than three-tenths of a second. The Red Bull driver, who had dominated every qualifying session and race at Zandvoort since its return in 2021, was forced to settle for second place, starting between the two McLarens, with Oscar Piastri securing third on the grid.

This marked a significant achievement for Norris, as he shattered Verstappen’s record at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver made improvements on his final qualifying lap, but Norris’ pace proved unbeatable. Verstappen’s streak of pole positions and victories at his home Grand Prix came to an end.

George Russell delivered a strong performance for Mercedes, taking the final spot on the second row with a fourth-place finish. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, faced difficulties and will start from at least 12th after being knocked out in Q2. Hamilton also faces a potential penalty, as the stewards are investigating him for allegedly impeding Sergio Perez during Q1.

Hamilton wasn’t the only big name to struggle in qualifying. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also failed to make it past Q2, joining Hamilton in an underwhelming session for both drivers. Meanwhile, Perez secured fifth place on the grid, despite an incident with Hamilton earlier in qualifying that left the Mexican driver frustrated.

Qualifying began under sunny skies despite earlier rain during the weekend. The unpredictable weather, combined with strong winds, created challenging conditions for the drivers. Many struggled to adapt, as few had managed to complete significant runs on soft tyres before the session.

Williams faced disappointment as Logan Sargeant was unable to participate in qualifying following a severe crash in FP3 that left his car damaged. After the first round of runs, Sargeant was joined by the VCARB and Stake drivers at the bottom of the timesheets. In a tense moment during Q1, Perez accused Hamilton of impeding him, leading to an angry radio message from the Red Bull driver. Although Perez eventually set the fastest time of the session, he had to use an extra set of soft tyres, leaving him disgruntled.

In Q2, McLaren continued to show impressive pace, with Norris maintaining his advantage over Verstappen. Perez, still frustrated from earlier incidents, remained competitive but could not match the top three times. The surprise came when Hamilton failed to advance to Q3, struggling with oversteer issues at turn one, while Russell delivered a solid performance, finishing less than a tenth behind Norris.