DUTCH GP – Lando Norris leads McLaren one-two three tenths faster than Oscar Piastri in first practice
Lando Norris led a McLaren one-two in first practice for the Dutch Grand Prix, the Englishman set a 10.278 to go nearly three tenths faster than his teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris heads into the second half of the season having won three of the last four races and looks to continue the momentum in the opening practice.
Norris, who dominated last year’s Grand Prix, and immediately looked happy with the car’s balance as the whole field was keen to complete as many laps as possible on the mediums and softs, given heavy rain is forecast for second practice.
He goes into the remaining ten weekends nine points off Piastri, but on track he looked more comfortable than Piastri on their fastest laps with the soft tyre midway through the session. He appeared to have a similar advantage on the race-simulation runs McLaren ran in the closing stages, as the team picked up where they left off before the summer break.
Lance Stroll put his Aston Martin third as he went nearly three tenths off Piastri, and he had the same advantage over his teammate Fernando Alonso, as the tight and unpredictable continued at this early phase of the weekend. But the Canadian set his time much later in the session when most would have switched to softs.
Alex Albon put his Williams fifth as he went half a second ahead of Max Verstappen, with George Russell just over a tenth and a half further behind. Russell’s Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, missed most of the session after locking up and going off at Turn Nine after losing grip.
While Verstappen went off at Tarzan after the chequered flag, he locked up during his practice start on the grid.
The Italian went straight on at Bocht (Turn) Nine and became beached in the gravel, after he appeared to lose grip midway through the corner, which brought out the red flag so his car could be recovered. Carlos Sainz was eighth, the Williams driver seven hundredths behind Russell, as he went half a tenth faster than Gabriel Bortoletto, while Pierre Gasly was a tenth further behind to complete the top ten.
Ferrari would have been hoping that the break would have been a reset, but both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton looked to struggle. Leclerc going thirteenth just over eight hundredths faster than the seven-time champion, who had a huge spin in Hans Ernst (Eleven) / Turn Twelve bowl.
Liam Lawson was eleventh the Racing Bulls driver missing out on the top ten by four hundredths, as he went two hundredths ahead of his French-Algerian teammate Isack Hadjar. While Nico Hulkenberg put his Sauber between the Racing Bull’s and Ferrari’s, he was a tenth of Hadjar and three-quarters of a tenth ahead of Leclerc.
Yuki Tsunoda was sixteenth the second Red Bull just under two hundredths ahead of Esteban Ocon. Franco Colapinto spilt the Haas going over a tenth behind Esteban Ocon and nearly two tenths ahead of Ollie Bearman. Antonelli’s limited running saw him prop up the times.