McLaren demonstrated its class in the opening practice for the Dutch Grand Prix, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing a dominant 1-2 finish, signaling their potential for a competitive weekend at Zandvoort. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, suffered a late off-track excursion.
Why it matters
McLaren’s strong showing, particularly Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s 1-2, positions them as a dominant force heading into the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, while defending champion Max Verstappen faced challenges.
The details
- McLaren’s commanding lead: Lando Norris set the pace with a 1:10.278 on soft tires, followed by teammate Oscar Piastri, creating a significant half-second gap to the rest of the field.
- Aston Martin's promising start: Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso showed strong form, securing third and fourth fastest times, respectively.
- Verstappen's P5: Max Verstappen finished fifth, nearly a second behind Norris, after suffering a late off-track excursion during a practice start.
- Incident-filled session:
- Lewis Hamilton spun at Turn 2, damaging his tires.
- Kimi Antonelli beached his Mercedes W16, causing a red flag and ending his session with just six laps.
- Yuki Tsunoda also had a spin off the track.
- Ferrari's struggles: Charles Leclerc expressed deep frustration with the SF-25’s pace, lamenting, "We are miles off!" He finished P14, over 1.6 seconds adrift.
What's next
Teams are preparing for potential rain, with the competitive landscape already set by McLaren's early pace and a tight championship fight where Norris is nine points behind Piastri. Qualifying will be crucial.