Piastri overthrows Norris, as Verstappen regains 'habitual' place

Oscar Piastri has clinched pole for the Dutch Grand Prix ahead of teammate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

Q1

With nearly all the laps from the first round of push laps done in the books, Hamilton led the session, from Bearman and Leclerc.

Lance Stroll, as he approached Turn 13, dipped both left-hand side wheels on the grass and found the barrier, breaking off a part of his front wing. The Canadian driver, however, was able to bring the car back onto the track and reach the pits.

After a momentary yellow flag, Verstappen soared to the top of the timing sheets, followed by Alonso, Antonelli and Russell. The Dutchman’s efforts, though, were pipped by the McLaren duo with Lando Norris leading Oscar Piastri by over a tenth and a half.

The second round of fast laps would see Yuki Tsunoda jump to P12, Lawson to P5 behind Verstappen who was bested by Russell, with Leclerc, Hamilton and Alonso making the top ten.

Eliminated: Franco Colapinto, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, Lance Stroll.

Q2

With all drivers having set their opening batch of quick laps Norris led the session ahead of Piastri, with both papaya cars split by 0.090s with a 0.248s gap to their usual hunter Verstappen in P3.

The Dutchman was in turn ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc who closed up the top 5. In P6 Hadjar imposed himself over Antonelli, Tsunoda, Russell and Albon, with yesterday’s dark horse, Alonso, out of the top 10, albeit marginally so, in P11.

The end of Q2 saw Carlos Sainz eliminate Gasly, and the Spaniard’s teammate Alexander Albon fall in P12. Gabriel Bortoleto’s effort led him to match Tsunoda’s time down to the one thousandth, but since the Japanese set the time first, Bortoleto was relegated to P11. Alonso and Lawson then jumped up the order into the top ten eliminating Antonelli and Tsunoda.

Eliminated: Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Yuki Tsunoda, Gabriel Bortoleto, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon.

Q3

The battle for pole looked set to be between both McLarens, and as the drivers pushed their cars to their limits this was made evident, as the papaya duo bested their closest pursuer by nearly four tenths, which over a short fast lap like Zandvoort’s is quite significant.

The gap between Piastri and Norris, though, could not be slimmer: only 0.012s separated both title contenders with the Aussie driver ahead of his British teammate. Verstappen placed P3, Russell P4 with Hamilton beating Leclerc for the last spot in the top 5. Behind them Hadjar managed to beat Alonso, Sainz and his Racing Bulls teammate Lawson.