McLaren driver Lando Norris expressed satisfaction after securing second place in Sprint Qualifying for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort. Fresh off his victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break, Norris noted that the MCL40 displayed a level of competitiveness comparable to its strong performance in Budapest.
Norris set a competitive benchmark of 1:11.608 in SQ3, holding provisional pole before Mercedes driver George Russell edged him out by just 0.041s. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri locked in third and fourth, placing the top four drivers within less than a tenth of a second.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the session, Norris weighed in on the tight battle at the front of the field following the introduction of McLaren’s new wavy rear wing update.
“I’m reasonably happy, it’s still a good position,” Norris stated. “It was a decent lap. Considering how tight the battle was, I could easily have been first or fourth or fifth. Qualifying was fun with close racing across all teams, which is exactly what we expected. Naturally, I’m just a bit disappointed to be second instead of first.”
Norris also pointed to areas of improvement, particularly regarding tyre performance during the final SQ3 runs on the soft compound.
“In the transition to soft tyres, I couldn’t fully capitalize on the extra grip. Maybe I could have pushed a bit harder, but overall, the car has performed well and seems to carry the same solid performance we saw in Budapest,” Norris evaluated.
“There are plenty of positives, and hopefully it stays that way for the rest of the weekend. There are things I can work on and areas where we might extract more performance for tomorrow’s main qualifying. But we started the weekend strong, so I’m happy,” he added, noting his intent to challenge Russell at the start.
“That’s the plan. It’s not an easy track for overtaking, and the inside line of the grid is usually worse than the left side, so we’ll see how it goes,” Norris concluded.
Formula 1 action continues at Zandvoort with Saturday’s Sprint race, followed by main Qualifying for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO covers all track activities live from Zandvoort with reporter Leonid Kliuev. Follow all paddock updates on our news page.
Sprint Qualifying Top 5 Results: Dutch Grand Prix 2026
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:11.567 | — |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:11.608 | +0.041s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.622 | +0.055s |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:11.666 | +0.099s |
| 5 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:11.794 | +0.227s |
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 – 16:30 | 14:30 |
| Sprint Race | Saturday, August 22 – 12:00 | 10:00 |
| Qualifying | Saturday, August 22 – 16:00 | 14:00 |
| Race | Sunday, August 23 – 15:00 | 13:00 |
Broadcast guide: Where to watch in the United States
- United States (Eastern Time / ET)
- Broadcaster: Apple TV
- Sprint Race: Saturday, August 22 – 06:00 ET
- Qualifying: Saturday, August 22 – 10:00 ET
- Race: Sunday, August 23 – 09:00 ET
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Where did Lando Norris qualify for the Dutch GP Sprint?
Lando Norris qualified in second position, finishing just 0.041s behind Sprint pole-sitter George Russell.
2. What updates did McLaren bring to Circuit Zandvoort?
McLaren debuted a unique wavy rear wing design along with revised rear brake duct inlets and a modified engine cover.
3. Did Oscar Piastri qualify close to Norris?
Yes, Oscar Piastri qualified fourth, finishing just 0.058s behind Norris and 0.099s off Russell’s pole time.
