Key takeaways
- Antonelli on top: Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli posted the quickest lap late in sole practice at Zandvoort, setting a 1:12.949 to beat Lando Norris by 0.121s.
- Tight battle: McLaren showed strong late qualifying pace with Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Mercedes and Ferrari consistently traded fast laps on the medium compound earlier in the session.
- Encouraging Audi pace: Gabriel Bortoleto ran steadily inside the top 10 for Audi, highlighting another promising display following the team’s recent upgrade packages.
Formula 1 returned to action with Drivers’ Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli leading the opening session of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. On Friday (21), he set the fastest time in the only practice session of the event by turning a 1:12.949 lap, 0.121s quicker than Lando Norris. George Russell finished third.
The weekend’s activities began on a damp track, but it did not take long for drivers to venture out on slick tyres, making use of every available minute. However, certain situations remained unchanged, starting with Max Verstappen’s complaints regarding downshifts on his Red Bull car.
Antonelli was also quicker than Russell for virtually the entire session, although Ferrari managed to show strong pace on the medium tyres, even if it is difficult to determine precisely where each team stands heading into the rest of the weekend. McLaren, for instance, kept a lower profile during that period, trailing the red cars by roughly 0.5s with Lando Norris, while Oscar Piastri fell 1s behind.
However, qualifying simulations in the final ten minutes brought the McLaren drivers into play, with Norris edging Lewis Hamilton by just 0.034s. Piastri, on the other hand, ended up 0.5s off his teammate down in sixth, with George Russell and Charles Leclerc ahead.
All that was missing was a clean lap from the championship leader, which came with less than two minutes remaining. Setting the fastest middle sector, Antonelli posted a 1:12.949, proving that despite traffic challenges on the short circuit, he remained in full control.
The session was also encouraging for several midfield teams, particularly Audi with Gabriel Bortoleto, who ran consistently within the top ten. On medium tyres, the Brazilian finished ninth, while teammate Nico Hülkenberg ended up fourth. Aston Martin saw Fernando Alonso run within 0.1s of the top ten for part of the session before ultimately ending up 12th.
Formula 1 action continues this afternoon at Zandvoort with Sprint Qualifying for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO covers all track activities live from Zandvoort with reporter Leonid Kliuev.
Free Practice 1 Results: Dutch Grand Prix 2026
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:12.949 | — |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:13.070 | +0.121s |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:13.074 | +0.125s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:13.139 | +0.190s |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:13.238 | +0.289s |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:13.608 | +0.659s |
| 7 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 1:13.784 | +0.835s |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:13.911 | +0.962s |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:13.992 | +1.043s |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:14.285 | +1.336s |
| 11 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:14.325 | +1.376s |
| 12 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:14.511 | +1.562s |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:14.826 | +1.877s |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull | 1:14.861 | +1.912s |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:14.874 | +1.925s |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:14.897 | +1.948s |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:15.110 | +2.161s |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:15.199 | +2.250s |
| 19 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:15.357 | +2.408s |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:15.580 | +2.631s |
| 21 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | 1:15.700 | +2.751s |
| 22 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams | 1:16.345 | +3.396s |
Session schedule: Dutch Grand Prix 2026
| Session | Local time (CEST) | UTC |
| Free Practice 1 | Friday, August 21 – 12:30 | 10:30 |
| Sprint Qualifying | Friday, August 21 – 16:00 | 14:00 |
| Sprint Race | Saturday, August 22 – 11:30 | 09:30 |
| Qualifying | Saturday, August 22 – 15:00 | 13:00 |
| Race | Sunday, August 23 – 15:00 | 13:00 |
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Why was there only one free practice session at Zandvoort?
The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix is a Sprint weekend format, featuring a single 60-minute practice session before moving directly into Sprint Qualifying.
2. Who set the fastest lap in practice at the Dutch GP?
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap with a 1:12.949.
3. Why did Carlos Sainz finish at the bottom of the practice standings?
Carlos Sainz suffered floor damage after running through the gravel at Turn 13, costing his Williams FW48 significant downforce for the remainder of the session.
