Mercedes driver and championship leader The Race kicked off the second half of Formula 1’s 2026 season by setting the fastest lap during the only practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix. According to Autoracing1, Antonelli delivered a 1m12.949s lap in the dying moments of the session on the dry Zandvoort Circuit, remaining the only driver to crack the 1m12s barrier. The Italian driver maintained his position at the top despite an earlier harmless spin on the exit of Turn 10.
Antonelli Tops Sole Practice Session at Zandvoort
The single hour of free practice served as the only preparation period ahead of Sprint Qualifying at the Zandvoort Circuit, which Formula 1 reports is hosting an F1 event for the final time this weekend. Teams encountered changing track conditions early in the session after the track was declared wet with scattered damp patches, prompting initial runs on intermediate tires before teams switched to Pirelli slick rubber as the tarmac dried.
Close Battles at the Front and Midfield Performance
Defending World Driving Champion Autoracing1 finished second quickest in his McLaren, ending up 0.121s adrift of Antonelli’s benchmark. George Russell placed third in the second Mercedes, just 0.125s off his teammate. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top five, with less than two tenths of a second separating the top four drivers across three different teams.
In the midfield fight, Nico Hulkenberg led the Audi team in seventh place after running on hard and medium tires, ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Hulkenberg’s teammate Gabriel Bortoleto. Gasly’s car featured Alpine’s major upgrade package, while his teammate Franco Colapinto is scheduled to receive the upgrade at Monza. Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10 for Racing Bulls.
Difficulties for Red Bull and Driver Changes
Local favorite Formula 1 managed only 11th fastest for Red Bull in front of a packed crowd. Fresh from recommitting to Red Bull, Verstappen struggled with understeer, oversteering, downshifts, and a small excursion at Turn 13, complaining about ridiculous downshifts that nearly put him in the wall.
Teammate Liam Lawson finished 14th in the RB22 after discovering he would drive for the team earlier in the week, stepping in to pilot the car in place of the injured Isack Hadjar. Yuki Tsunoda placed 17th in his first F1 session for Racing Bulls, returning to the grid eight months after losing his Red Bull drive. Carlos Sainz anchored the timing sheets in 22nd for Williams after encountering floor damage following multiple off-track excursions into the gravel and struggles at the Turn 11/12 chicane.
Dutch Grand Prix Practice Results
- 1. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1m12.949s
- 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.121s
- 3. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.125s
- 4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.190s
- 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.289s
- 6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.659s
- 7. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) – +0.835s
- 8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +0.962s
- 9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – +1.043s
- 10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – +1.336s
- 11. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +1.376s
- 12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +1.562s
- 13. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +1.877s
- 14. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) – +1.912s
- 15. Oliver Bearman (Haas) – +1.925s
- 16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +1.948s
- 17. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) – +2.161s
- 18. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +2.250s
- 19. Alex Albon (Williams) – +2.408s
- 20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) – +2.631s
- 21. Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) – +2.751s
- 22. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +3.396s
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