The Dutch Grand Prix returned as the first race after the summer break, with teams eager to see if their upgrades would pay off. The excitement was palpable, but only 19 drivers were participating for qualifying. Logan Sargeant could not participate after his crash in Free Practice 3, where he spun into the barriers after dipping a wheel into the wet grass. His car caught fire, and the crew worked hard to restore it, but they couldn't fix the car in time.
Although none of the last six races have been won from pole position, Max Verstappen was determined to secure a strong qualifying lap to give his home crowd something to cheer about.
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Qualifying 1 (Q1)
Nico Hulkenberg was the first on track, setting an initial benchmark of 1:13.062 on soft tyres. The Ferraris struggled with pace but managed to secure fourth and fifth places late in the session. Carlos Sainz had a challenging weekend, having missed most of FP2 due to a gearbox issue and much of FP3 due to the red flag caused by Sargeant's crash.
After leaving the pits later than most, Verstappen initially managed third but went out again on used tyres as other drivers improved their times. Pierre Gasly, the fastest in the wet FP3, could only manage 14th. The stewards noted Lewis Hamilton for impeding Sergio Perez at Turn 9, with an investigation set to take place after the session. Frustrated by the incident, Perez believed it cost him a new set of tyres. Despite this, he went fastest overall in the final lap, though he now has only one new set of tyres for use in Q3.
George Russell struggled with grip and balance but went second fastest after he went into the pits to change his tyres. Kevin Magnussen aced the final sector, going eighth fastest as track conditions improved. Daniel Ricciardo was outqualified by Yuki Tsunoda for the 10th time this season, a concerning sign as his 2025 contract remains unconfirmed. The session ended with a double exit for Sauber, as both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, along with Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, and Sargeant, were eliminated.
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Qualifying 2 (Q2)
Ferrari quickly sent both cars out at the start of Q2, aiming to maintain momentum after a strong finish in Q1. However, with two sets of tyres already used, both drivers were on worn rubber for their first runs. Oscar Piastri temporarily topped the timesheets with a 1:10.505, only for his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, to slightly improve with a 1:10.496. Norris and Piastri then returned to the pits, as did Russell and Verstappen, who were third and fourth, respectively.
Lance Stroll put in a strong performance, setting the fastest first sector and finishing the session in fourth. Stroll, who had only managed to score points in the 2022 Zandvoort race, appeared to be in contention for points again this year. Alex Albon also impressed, going seventh fastest in his Williams, with team principal James Vowles noting the car's suitability for the track.
Hamilton, who qualified 13th last year, was eliminated in Q2 for the second year running at Zandvoort, this time in 12th place. He was three-tenths off in the first sector and struggled for raw pace. His impeding incident could result in a three-place grid penalty, potentially pushing him down to 15th.
Sainz also had a disappointing session, just missing out on Q3 by qualifying 11th, marking his second Q2 exit of the year. Drivers eliminated in Q2 included Sainz, Hamilton, Tsunoda, and both Haas drivers – Hulkenberg and Magnussen.
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Qualifying 3 (Q3)
As Q3 began, Leclerc, Gasly, Stroll, Perez, Albon, and Alonso started on used tyres, hoping rain would disrupt the session. Piastri set the initial top time, but Norris eclipsed him with a 1:10.074. Verstappen and Russell couldn't match the McLarens, placing third and fourth respectively.
The final laps proved decisive, with everyone returning to the pits for fresh rubber. Verstappen improved his time to 1:09.673, but Norris responded with a lap that put him a significant 0.356 seconds ahead of the Dutchman. Russell secured fourth place, sharing the second row with Piastri in third. Perez put in a solid performance to take fifth, with Leclerc in sixth.
Albon continued his strong form, finishing eighth, splitting the Aston Martins of Stroll and Alonso seventh and ninth, respectively. Gasly rounded out the top 10.
This marks Norris' fourth pole position in Formula 1. Verstappen, whose streak of consecutive poles at Zandvoort has ended, will still have the full support of the home crowd as they hope to see their hero claim victory on Sunday.
In the post-qualifying interviews, Piastri, who finished third, admitted, "I just didn't do a good enough job. The first half of the lap was okay, but the second half wasn't what I needed. The car has been quick this weekend, so it's a bit disappointing not to be higher up. But I have a good car, so I'm hopeful of getting some good points tomorrow. The pace looked good in the long run, so hopefully, we can have a good day, get a good start, and make up a couple of places."
Verstappen, who qualified second, reflected, "We just lacked a bit of pace. I tried the best I could, and I'm still happy with the front row. It was tricky with the gusts of wind. I'm happy with second – considering yesterday as well, this is a good result. Hopefully, the car is okay tomorrow in the race."
Pole-sitter Norris was pleased with his performance, saying, "Nice to be back and to start with a pole! It was a nice lap, and qualifying was pretty smooth. I put in some good laps. It's harder than it looks, it's tricky out there, but I felt comfortable. The car feels amazing, everything is working very well, so a big thanks to the team. I'm excited for tomorrow."
With the ever-changing conditions at Zandvoort, the race promises to be intriguing. Stay tuned for the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, 25th August, at 14:00 BST.
