Norris spoils Verstappen’s quest for pole at hometown Grand Prix.
ZANDVOORT, The Netherlands—Just when many thought that home hero Max Verstappen would take his fourth consecutive pole for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix, at the very last moment, McLaren’s Lando Norris went even quicker. Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished third.
Verstappen struggled throughout Saturday’s qualifying, with plenty of understeer to deal with until he found his rhythm right at the final minute. But it was short-lived, as Norris kept his chances for another pole successful and bettered the Dutchman’s time.
Lando Norris: It was a nice lap, honestly. Qualifying was always pretty smooth, and I put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. Great job by the team, and I’m happy with today.
It was not much of a disappointment for Verstappen, mainly because he will still be on the front row with Norris. “I tried the best I could,” he stated. “Very happy to be on the front row. It’s tricky with the wind – every lap feels different, so you can’t go off the reference. I’m happy with second after yesterday. This was a good result.”
In his Mercedes, George Russell took fourth in another last-minute effort, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ended up in a respectable fifth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished in sixth, with the Aston Martin’s (Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll) taking seventh and ninth places. Williams Alex Albon was eighth, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completing the top ten.
On the downside, Williams’s Logan Sargeant could not get out of the garage in the opening session because of a big accident in the morning’s final practice session, and his mechanics couldn’t get his car out on time for qualifying. Lewis Hamilton, in his Mercedes, and Carlos Sainz, in the Ferrari, were out in the second session, as both had trouble with their cars’ grip.
For Norris, everything looked good, and he thanked his team for such commitment. “I felt comfortable out there, and the car felt amazing. We’ve got some upgrades on the car – the first time in a while – and everything is working well, so big thanks to the team.”
ESPN will cover the race, starting at 9:00 AM on the East Coast.
