Max Verstappen is set to commence his 200th Formula 1 race from the second starting position tomorrow in Zandvoort. The three-time world champion from Red Bull had to concede to his McLaren rival, Lando Norris, in the qualifying session for the Dutch GP on Saturday.
Last year, Verstappen secured the pole position and went on to win his home race for the third consecutive year. For Norris, this marks his third pole of the season, following Spain and Hungary. Oscar Piastri will start from P3.
Notably, in the tricky qualifying for the Dutch GP, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was eliminated early in Q2. Just a month ago, the Mercedes driver had won the last GP before the summer break in Belgium.
Q1: Strong Start for Pérez, Sargeant Absent
The qualifying session began with nineteen cars. Logan Sargeant was absent following his severe crash during the third free practice in the morning. The Williams team mechanics were busy trying to repair the car in time, but a return to the track did not materialize.
The session started under sunny, dry, yet tricky conditions due to the changing wind. Max Verstappen was the last to go out, despite having only been able to drive a few laps in FP3 due to the red flag situation caused by Sargeant’s crash. Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Pérez, was held up by Lewis Hamilton during one of his fast laps, which did not go unnoticed by the stewards. The incident was investigated and assessed after the session. The Brit led in Q1 for a long time (1.11,375), ahead of Norris and Verstappen.
In the final fast lap, Pérez put on a strong performance. He clocked the fastest time, at 1.11,006, leaving behind George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen ended up with the seventh time (1.11,393).
Q1 Eliminations: Ricciardo, Ocon, Bottas, and Zhou
The drivers eliminated in Q1 are Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, and Guanyu Zhou. Sargeant was already eliminated beforehand.
Q2: Sainz and Hamilton Fail to Advance
As rain seems to be approaching, the McLarens kick off Q2 with the first and second fastest times in the initial series of quick runs. Norris leads the field, followed by his teammate Oscar Piastri, Russell, and Verstappen. The latter loses valuable time in the second sector.
Norris, Piastri, Russell, and Verstappen opt to skip the end of Q2 to save rubber for the race. Norris’ fastest time (1.10,496) remains unbeaten. Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton provide a negative surprise, both drivers failing to advance, finishing eleventh and twelfth respectively. The other three drivers eliminated are Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hülkenberg, and Kevin Magnussen.
Q3: Verstappen Splits the McLarens
In the final part of the qualification, Norris and Piastri – again in that order – immediately show that the McLarens’ speed is up to par. Norris leads the field with 1.10,074, followed by his Australian teammate Piastri (1.10,193). Verstappen records the third time (1.10,222). Over the radio, he requests to adjust the floor setup upon entry. However, it is clear that the Red Bulls are outpaced by the McLarens in terms of pure speed.
In the second attempt, Norris secures pole position. Max Verstappen extracts the maximum from his car and ends up with the second fastest time. The margin with Norris is substantial: 1.09,673 to 1.10,029. With his performance, Verstappen lands on the front row and splits the McLarens, which is of great strategic importance. Piastri will start the Dutch GP tomorrow from P3.
The top-10 are as follows: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Pérez, Leclerc, Alonso, Albon, Stroll, and Gasly.
The Dutch GP in Zandvoort will start tomorrow at 15.00 Dutch Time (6.00 UST).
