A lap at exactly the right moment
The first drops were already darkening the asphalt when Lando Norris crossed the line in 1’11″163. Nobody was going to beat that.
The McLaren driver takes pole for the Dutch Grand Prix. George Russell is just 102 thousandths back, with Kimi Antonelli completing the front row, 31 thousandths behind the Mercedes man. Oscar Piastri lines up fourth.
It is Norris’s second straight pole. The call came down to the final run in Q3. Antonelli had gone provisional pole, Norris struck back, then the downpour arrived and locked the order in place. Those who waited too long ran out of track.
Behind them, Lewis Hamilton put his Ferrari fifth ahead of Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen could manage only seventh in front of his home crowd, 455 thousandths off pole. Liam Lawson completes the top eight for Racing Bulls.
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Q1 and Q2 did the damage
Aston Martin had a brutal session. Fernando Alonso, who at one point had climbed to 12th in Q1 with his car running the new Honda engine, was knocked out. Lance Stroll had his lap deleted for track limits and ends up last of the 22 cars. Carlos Sainz, Oliver Bearman, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez also fell at the first hurdle.
Q2 was even tighter. Thirteen drivers were covered by a second, which forced even the McLarens back out for another attempt. Norris topped the segment with 1’11″628. Verstappen kept himself alive with a jump to third, while Lawson advanced in eighth. Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon are left out.
Three tenths covering three teams
Zandvoort remains one of the toughest tracks on the calendar for overtaking. Track position matters here, and Norris knows it. George Russell, already a factor earlier in the weekend, is perfectly placed to attack into Turn 1. Antonelli, the championship leader, also has a proper shot from the front.
McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari are separated by just over three tenths. Then there is the Dutch weather in late August, which has never once respected a starting grid.
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