Lewis Hamilton expressed confidence that the Ferrari he drove for the Dutch Grand Prix qualifying session was now in a far more favourable condition than it had been earlier in the weekend, and he believes the team can still approach Sunday’s race with a sense of optimism despite having to start from the third row of the grid. Ferrari remain the closest rivals to Mercedes in the ongoing World Championship, but at Zandvoort they qualified roughly three‑tenths of a second off the pole position, which was secured by the McLaren of Lando Norris. The Dutch circuit, known for its undulating, fast‑changing layout, marked the first Formula 1 event after the summer hiatus, and the qualifying results highlighted a tight battle among the top teams.
Hamilton posted the fifth‑fastest time, while his teammate Charles Leclerc was sixth. Both will line up behind the two Mercedes drivers and the two McLarens, with Norris occupying pole.
Although a fifth‑place start may not seem spectacular, it actually represented a step forward for Hamilton compared with the earlier sprint‑qualifying session where he had only managed seventh place. "A very different session, a very different car," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 after the final Q3 run, where he edged out Leclerc to claim the inside position on the third row.
He explained that the car felt solid and consistent during the practice runs, but there were still areas that required fine‑tuning. "We introduced a series of subtle adjustments aimed at correcting those weak spots, and it completely turned the car on its head – the Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint race were a disaster. I had no confidence in the balance at that point," he said.
The team responded by implementing a suite of changes for the main qualifying session. Hamilton described the experience of learning a newly‑balanced car in just a handful of laps as a significant challenge, but one he embraced.
"We made all these changes into Qualifying so I was learning a new car again, a new balance which I'm much happier with – trying to progress with it and learning with only like six laps was a challenge," he noted. He also acknowledged that the Mercedes‑powered rivals still held a power advantage. "All the Mercedes‑powered cars are ahead and we know we have a bit of a deficit on power, so I think our race pace should be better and the car is better for the race," Hamilton added. The Sprint race on Saturday offered a glimpse of how the updated Ferrari performed on the twisty Zandvoort layout.
Leclerc finished second, just 1.3 seconds behind George Russell, after making a decisive overtake on Norris with six laps remaining – the only position change among the top ten after the opening lap. Despite the circuit’s reputation for limited overtaking opportunities, Hamilton did not rule out the possibility of the SF‑26 fighting for a podium place on Sunday.
"I feel optimistic," he said. "Fifth is not the greatest but it could be far worse, so I'm grateful to be there but of course I wish I was up further ahead.
However, our race pace was good in the Sprint. Charles had good race pace and the car is in a better place. Hopefully with the right strategy and right execution we can challenge the cars ahead." Leclerc’s late‑race move on Norris was surprising because he was the only front‑runner who had run the full 24‑lap Sprint on the soft tyre compound. Soft tyres provide the quickest initial grip but lose performance more rapidly than the medium compound.
Leclerc had been tipped as a potential pole contender, yet he never appeared to be a threat during any of the three knockout phases of qualifying. "I don’t think the conditions played a role," Leclerc explained. "We changed the power strategies a bit too much throughout qualifying, then in Q3 I had some weird things going on, so we lost a bit of performance there.
At no time during qualifying did I have the potential of pole." After Hamilton’s late improvement, Leclerc started the Sunday race from sixth on the grid. He admitted that overtaking at Zandvoort would be extremely difficult, but he remained hopeful that a strong race pace and clever strategy could compensate for the starting position.
"Realistically it will be very difficult to overtake on track but we will do our best and see where we end up. Starting from sixth doesn’t make our life easy, so it will be a tough race but the pace is there so I hope we can do something with strategy and offset ourselves to the others," he said. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur took a positive view of the Sprint performance, noting that the race would likely involve multiple pit stops, which could play into Ferrari’s hands. "The race pace in the Sprint was very strong so we will try to come back," the Frenchman said.
"We had a good comparison between the two tyre compounds in the Sprint, which is probably the best preparation we can have for the race. It’s very difficult to overtake. It will probably be two or three pit stops which mean everything is open." Vasseur also commented on the latest batch of upgrades introduced to the SF‑26, including a new floor that was first seen during Friday’s sole practice session.
"It’s working as per the plan," he confirmed. "From the beginning of the season, every time we brought something it’s worked per the plan. It’s a positive side of the development this year.
We are bringing a lot of upgrades at each race, not big ones, so we are not expecting to gain five tenths per race. But it’s working as expected." The weekend schedule is packed: Sunday, August 23, will see the F1 Academy Race 2 at 9:35 am, the Porsche Supercup Race 2 at 10:50 am, followed by the Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 pm. The Dutch Grand Prix itself is slated for a 2 pm start, with the chequered flag expected around 4 pm. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1 or stream via NOW without a long‑term contract.
In summary, Hamilton’s remarks reflect a blend of realism and hope. While the qualifying results placed Ferrari behind the dominant Mercedes and McLaren entries, the improvements made to the car’s balance, the strong Sprint race showing, and the strategic flexibility offered by a multi‑stop race format all give the Scuderia a credible chance to fight for higher positions on Sunday. The team’s incremental development philosophy – delivering modest but consistent upgrades each weekend – appears to be paying off, and both drivers are eager to translate that progress into tangible points on the Zandvoort podium.