With blistering pace, Norris completes Dutch GP practice sweep

Dutch Grand Prix: McLaren Dominates Final Practice Ahead of Qualifying

Zandvoort, Netherlands – In a commanding performance during the final practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix, Lando Norris secured the top spot, setting a blistering pace that showcased McLaren’s dominance. Teammate Oscar Piastri followed closely, completing a McLaren one-two finish.

After overnight rain left the Zandvoort circuit green, ideal conditions emerged as the sun shone, allowing the track to gain grip quickly. Norris initially set the fastest time on his first runs with soft tires, but Piastri briefly took the lead with a second attempt on used rubber, clocking just over 0.1 seconds faster. However, Norris reclaimed his position with a stellar push lap on fresh soft tires, recording a time of 1:08.972. This lap not only surpassed his previous pole position record from 2024 but also fell just 0.087 seconds short of the track record set by Max Verstappen in 2021.

Piastri’s best lap placed him 0.242 seconds behind Norris, demonstrating competitive pace, although he encountered difficulties during the initial sector of his run. Notably, he did achieve the fastest time in the final sector.

The gap to the competition was significant; George Russell was the closest challenger, finishing the session 0.886 seconds off the pace in third. Russell is under review by the stewards following a late-session incident with Fernando Alonso at the pit entry, where Russell’s abrupt lane change forced Alonso to take evasive action.

Alonso ended the session in 10th place, a stark contrast to his second-place finish in Friday’s session. Carlos Sainz managed a strong fourth position, edging out Verstappen, who was fifth, by a mere 0.012 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was sixth, while the midfield battle saw Williams’ Alex Albon in seventh and Lance Stroll in eighth, despite recent repairs to his Aston Martin following a crash.

Isack Hardjar secured ninth after missing FP2 due to a power unit failure, with Alonso rounding out the top ten. Notably, Alpine struggled, placing Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto in the last two positions, showing a significant performance deficit.

Final Practice Results – Dutch Grand Prix