During the third free practice for the Dutch GP, no one comes close to the blistering time set by Lando Norris. Teammate Oscar Piastri clocks the second fastest time, followed by George Russell. Max Verstappen has to settle for fifth place, falling almost a second short of the McLaren with starting number 4.
Despite the morning rain pouring down in buckets, the third free practice gets underway in dry conditions. The session starts very calmly with only a few drivers venturing onto the track. The circuit is still ‘green’ as they say, meaning there is little grip.
While Gabriel Bortoleto sets the fastest time, the Racing Bulls drivers are still standing with their arms crossed in the pit box. It says a lot about this final dress rehearsal for the qualification. Only after twenty minutes do the McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen hit the asphalt.
With half an hour to go, Lando Norris is at the top, followed by Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver could use a boost after spinning twice in Zandvoort yesterday.
Norris in a Class of His Own
Interestingly, most teams are running on medium and hard tires. Only McLaren in the top has opted for the soft rubber. In the final part, the rest of the field also chooses the red tire to simulate the qualification.
Norris immediately sets a blistering lap and dips under one minute and nine seconds. Piastri and Russell follow at a respectful distance and finish second and third in this session respectively. Max Verstappen has to give almost a second to Norris and does not get further than 5th place.
The qualification starts this afternoon at 13:00 UTC.
