Russell Tops FP2 Standings, Verstappen Trails in Fifth

In the Netherlands, George Russell takes the lead in FP2, overshadowing Max Verstappen, with Mercedes and McLaren in dominant form.

Following the morning’s rain and a drying track during FP1, the Zandvoort circuit was bathed in sunshine for the FP2 session of the Dutch Grand Prix. However, the wind was still a factor, with very rapid gusts affecting conditions.

Max Verstappen immediately took the lead with a time of 1’12″131, holding a seven-tenth margin over Lando Norris and nearly a second over Lewis Hamilton. George Russell had a challenging start to the session with significant tyre lock-up and a gravel trap excursion, though fortunately without damage.

Sergio Pérez and Charles Leclerc were also among the drivers struggling to maintain track position. Hamilton made gains to close within two-tenths of Verstappen, and Norris closed to within three-tenths. Alex Albon recorded a commendable time, securing the fourth provisional place ahead of Yuki Tsunoda.

Both the Williams driver and the Red Bull F1 team member were notably on hard tyres, unlike others who opted for medium compounds at the start of FP2.

Fernando Alonso climbed to third place, and his teammate Lance Stroll secured the fifth provisional time. Despite achieving the fastest third sector, Leclerc only managed ninth place.

Russell moved up to second place, and Hamilton took the lead after the first fifteen minutes of the session with a time of 1’11″833. The session was then interrupted by a red flag when Nico Hülkenberg crashed his Haas into the barriers at the first turn, Tarzan. Replay analysis showed that the rear of the car broke away under braking, though the impact was light.

Upon resumption, after a brief pause to clear the American car, Verstappen immediately improved his time to 1’10″986, but Norris responded swiftly, taking the lead with a time of 1’10″961.

Both drivers were on soft tyres, like Pérez, who secured third place, and like Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant, who took fourth and fifth positions respectively.

Oscar Piastri outperformed his teammate with a time of 1’10″763, and Yuki Tsunoda recorded an impressive fourth provisional time. However, the Mercedes drivers had yet to show their hand. Russell claimed the top spot with a time of 1’10″702, and Hamilton slotted into third, nestled between the McLarens.

Carlos Sainz did not return to the track after the session was interrupted, as his Ferrari SF-24 suffered a gearbox issue, curtailing his session and thus ending his first day at Zandvoort.

The latter part of the session was devoted to long runs, with teams predominantly using soft and medium tyres to assess the durability of the two more fragile compounds.

Russell thus maintained the lead of the session by 61 milliseconds ahead of Piastri, with their respective teammates following closely in the standings; Hamilton was third ahead of Norris. Verstappen finished fifth, less than three-tenths off Russell.

Alonso completed the session with the sixth-fastest time, ahead of Tsunoda and Magnussen, then Leclerc and Albon. Thus, eight manufacturers were represented in the top 10, with only Stake F1 and Alpine missing from this portion of the leaderboard.

Pérez ended the day in 12th place, with Pierre Gasly in 14th and Esteban Ocon in 17th. Valtteri Bottas was 18th after missing FP1 to allow Robert Shwartzman to drive. Sainz, hampered by mechanical issues, and Hülkenberg, who went off-track early in the session, rounded out the field.

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George Russell Dominates in Dutch FP2, Verstappen Fifth George Russell Dominates in Dutch FP2, Verstappen Fifth