Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship, posted the quickest time in the sole practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix, edging out Lando Norris by a narrow margin as Formula 1 resumed after its summer hiatus. Antonelli, sitting 50 points clear of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings, demonstrated the speed that has become his hallmark throughout the day, shaving 0.121 seconds off Norris’s best lap and positioning himself as the early favourite for Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, which will kick off at 3:30 p.m.
on Sky Sports F1. McLaren arrived at Zandvoort with a fresh set of rear‑end upgrades designed to complement the package that propelled Norris to victory in Hungary. The team hopes the new components will allow them to challenge the traditional front‑runners—Mercedes and Ferrari—once again. While Hamilton and Charles Leclerc qualified fourth and fifth respectively, Ferrari’s newly introduced floor appeared to be delivering solid performance, keeping both drivers within three‑tenths of Antonelli’s time.
Notably, the Ferrari pair set their quickest laps earlier in the session, suggesting they may have been working on a slower, more stable track surface. George Russell, who finished third, was a mere 0.125 seconds behind Antonelli. The British driver is eager to reignite his title bid after a disappointing run of form before the mid‑season break. "The conditions are tricky today – the wind is definitely a factor and will continue to influence the cars," observed Sky Sports F1 analyst Karun Chandhok.
"What’s fascinating is that the top five were all within three‑tenths of a second of each other. That tells us the work done over the summer has paid off and we’re essentially picking up where we left off in Budapest." The session also highlighted the potential of the Red Bull squad, even though they did not yet reveal their strongest pace. "I don’t think we’ve seen the best of the Red Bulls in that session either yet," Chandhok added, hinting at further improvements to come. Oscar Piastri could not keep up with Norris’s rhythm and finished about six‑tenths of a second slower, while the newly re‑signed Max Verstappen, back at Red Bull, only managed an eleventh‑place best lap.
Verstappen appeared to struggle with car balance, a concern that could loom large over the remaining home event, especially as the Dutch Grand Prix lacks a contract beyond the current year. Red Bull made a driver swap for the weekend: Liam Lawson stepped in for the injured Isack Hadjar, who suffered a wrist problem last week, and posted a 14th‑place time.
Yuki Tsunoda, who filled Lawson’s seat at Racing Bulls, ended up 17th. Pierre Gasly, running a substantial upgrade package for Alpine, posted an eighth‑place lap, sandwiched between Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg in seventh and Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth. Aston Martin introduced both engine and aerodynamic upgrades at Zandvoort, allowing Fernando Alonso to finish 12th, just 1.5 seconds off the pace – the closest the team has been to the front this season. Alonso will be hoping to translate that incremental progress into a stronger showing in the upcoming Sprint Qualifying.
The weekend schedule is packed with action. On Friday, August 21, the Team Bosses’ Press Conference begins at 1:45 p.m., followed by the Sprint Qualifying at 3 p.m.
(session start at 3:30 p.m.). Saturday, August 22, features F1 Academy Qualifying at 8:15 a.m., a Sprint build‑up at 10 a.m., the Sprint itself at 11 a.m., followed by the Academy Race 1 at 1:30 p.m., and the main Grand Prix Qualifying build‑up at 2:20 p.m., with the official Qualifying at 3 p.m.
The day concludes with the Porsche Supercup Race 1 at 5 p.m. Sunday, August 23, continues with the Academy Race 2 at 9:35 a.m., Porsche Supercup Race 2 at 10:50 a.m., and the Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 p.m. The Dutch Grand Prix itself starts at 2 p.m., with the chequered flag expected around 4 p.m., followed by post‑race reactions.
All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports, and viewers can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract, cancelling at any time. Overall, the practice session underscored a tightly contested field, with several teams showing promising upgrades and drivers eager to capitalize on the momentum built over the summer break. As the Sprint Qualifying approaches, fans can anticipate a thrilling showdown at Zandvoort, where even fractions of a second will separate the podium hopefuls from the rest of the pack.