Norris takes the lead in a rain-soaked FP1, with Verstappen and Hamilton close behind.
The Dutch Grand Prix commenced under severe conditions, with strong winds and substantial rainfall on the track, setting the stage for a challenging day ahead and the qualifications tomorrow.
Six teams have introduced updates this weekend, following a four-week hiatus. Red Bull has once again removed the cannon cooling from its car and narrowed the width of its hood, while minor aerodynamic adjustments have been made to the Halo and mirrors.
McLaren F1 has rolled out significant updates including new front brake ducts, revised suspension both at the front and rear, an overhauled floor edge, and a rear wing and beam wing tailored to the high downforce demands of Zandvoort.
Alpine introduced a new front suspension and revised rear brake ducts. As anticipated, Williams also unveiled numerous updates with a new floor, a new diffuser, revised air intakes on the pontoons, an overhauled engine cover, and a new air intake above the driver.
RB F1 has adapted its rear brake ducts, while Haas has brought in a new nose, a new front wing, a new front suspension, and modified front brake ducts to complement the new front assembly.
The weather was particularly adverse at the start of the weekend on the Dutch coast. As expected, the sea brought strong winds, and the anticipated rain on Saturday added to the already challenging conditions.
One driver vacated his seat for this first free practice session of the weekend, with Valtteri Bottas at Stake F1 handing over his Kick Sauber C44 to Robert Shwartzman. This move came as a surprise since the former Ferrari Driver Academy pilot had no prior association with Sauber, but he is well-acquainted with Mattia Binotto, the new chief at Sauber.
Pierre Gasly was among the first to hit the track, though the Alpine F1 driver expressed concerns about the weather conditions to his engineer, remarking, “It’s quite wild with the wind!”
Simultaneously, Nico Hülkenberg ventured off into the gravel, though without any damage to his Haas. Both Gasly and the Haas driver returned to the pits, and it was over ten minutes before any drivers reappeared on track.
Nearly 20 minutes into the session, Charles Leclerc set a lap time of 1’26″530 on wet tyres. Hülkenberg had another harmless run through the gravel, repeating the excursion shortly thereafter.
Leclerc improved his time to 1’26″111, closely followed by Hülkenberg and George Russell, both less than two-tenths behind. Just before mid-session, the sun broke through above Zandvoort.
Max Verstappen was the first to switch to intermediate tyres mid-session, but spun on his first attempt. His second attempt was successful, taking the lead with a time of 1’21″300.
Lewis Hamilton placed second, trailing by over three seconds, with Esteban Ocon just milliseconds ahead. George Russell then took the top spot with a time of 1’20″444.
Hülkenberg slotted in between Verstappen and Ocon, while Lando Norris posted his first quick lap, topping the session with a time of 1’20″392. Alex Albon came in sixth, while Pierre Gasly made an error at the first turn, though it was non-critical.
The Frenchman then secured the fourth fastest time, and Carlos Sainz replicated his error at the first turn. Daniel Ricciardo captured the sixth provisional time, albeit two seconds off Norris. Ocon improved, reclaiming fourth position.
Guanyu Zhou registered the 13th provisional time, and his session teammate clinched the third fastest just seconds later. In these challenging conditions, it was a prime opportunity for the Russian driver to demonstrate his worthiness of a seat in 2025.
With less than fifteen minutes to the end of the session, the McLaren drivers ventured out on slick tyres. For Oscar Piastri, it was his first timed lap of the session.
Norris significantly improved with a 1’17″367, and his teammate positioned himself second, less than a second behind. Other drivers also switched to slick tyres, starting with Russell who slotted between the two McLarens.
Fernando Alonso placed fifth, more than three seconds adrift. Piastri dramatically bettered his performance on his second timed lap, taking the lead with a 1’15″971, though Russell soon topped that with a 1’15″900.
Verstappen positioned third, a tenth behind Russell, and Norris took the lead with a 1’14″519. Albon logged the sixth fastest time. The Ferrari drivers also switched to slicks, opting for medium rather than soft tyres like their rivals. Leclerc recorded the seventh fastest time, and Sainz the fifth. Alonso improved and captured the second fastest time.
Kevin Magnussen positioned seventh, and Lance Stroll captured the third fastest time of the session. Piastri reclaimed the top spot with a 1’14″293, and Hülkenberg secured the sixth fastest time.
Sainz improved to post the third fastest provisional time, while Russell outpaced everyone with a 1’13″766. Magnussen clocked the seventh fastest time, and Sergio Pérez embarked on his first timed lap of the session.
The Mexican recorded the 11th provisional time, with Tsunoda slotting into 12th. Ocon managed only the 16th fastest on his first attempt on slicks, while Verstappen secured the second fastest time despite being impeded by Pierre Gasly.
Norris set the pace with a 1’12″818, and Albon moved up to fifth. Logan Sargeant pushed the second Williams into the top 10, and Hamilton advanced to second place.
Russell and then Hamilton each took turns in second position, while Piastri did no better than fifth. Verstappen captured the fastest lap with a 1’12″523, but Norris responded with a 1’12″322.
Ultimately, it was the Briton who topped the timing sheets ahead of Verstappen and Hamilton, with Sainz in fourth on mediums. Russell is next ahead of Albon and Piastri, followed by the Haas pair of Hülkenberg and Magnussen. Zhou rounds out the top 10, ahead of Pérez and Leclerc, while Shwartzman is 16th. Ocon and Gasly are 18th and 20th, respectively.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:12.322 | 17 |
| 02 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:12.523 | 13 |
| 03 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:13.006 | 13 |
| 04 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:13.074 | 15 |
| 05 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:13.142 | 17 |
| 06 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:13.159 | 14 |
| 07 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:13.230 | 14 |
| 08 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:13.563 | 18 |
| 09 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:13.597 | 15 |
| 10 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:13.956 | 15 |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:14.151 | 14 |
| 12 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:14.279 | 12 |
| 13 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:14.306 | 15 |
| 14 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:14.418 | 13 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:14.467 | 15 |
| 16 | Robert Shwartzman | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:14.658 | 15 |
| 17 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:15.605 | 12 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:15.796 | 15 |
| 19 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:16.231 | 15 |
| 20 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:22.036 | 8 |
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Challenging FP1 Sees Norris Ahead, Verstappen Trails Challenging FP1 Sees Norris Ahead, Verstappen Trails
