The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix kicked into life at Zandvoort on Friday with Lando Norris setting the early benchmark, the McLaren driver topping the timesheets in the opening practice session ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Norris’ best effort of 1:10.278 left him 0.292s clear of Piastri, delivering the perfect start to a weekend where the pair’s duel at the top of the 2025 F1 World Championship takes centre stage.
What To Know
- Norris fastest in FP1 with 1:10.278, leading McLaren 1-2 over Piastri.
- Session red-flagged after Antonelli’s Turn 9 off.
- Verstappen P6 after late gravel trap incident; Ferrari only P14/P15.
The session opened in dry but gusty conditions, with Nico Hülkenberg first to lead a train of cars out onto the 4.259km dune-side circuit. Most drivers began their runs on the medium compound, particularly fitting on a weekend when Pirelli celebrates its 500th Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton provided the first moment of drama with a wild 360-degree spin, flat-spotting all four tyres and bringing out the yellow flags, before a series of offs saw Yuki Tsunoda run wide and rookie Kimi Antonelli beach his Mercedes at Turn 9. The latter incident brought out the red flags after just 15 minutes, halting Max Verstappen’s early run to the top of the timing screens.
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When the session resumed, Norris immediately stamped his authority with the fastest lap, his 1m10.278s standing as the time to beat even as drivers switched to soft-tyre qualifying simulations in the second half. Piastri managed to close the gap but not overtake his team-mate, while Fernando Alonso kept Aston Martin firmly in the mix before handing the spotlight to Stroll, who pulled off a late flyer to secure third. Alex Albon’s impressive Williams run put him fifth, just behind Alonso, and ahead of Verstappen in sixth—though the home favourite’s session ended in frustration after he slid into the Turn 1 gravel trap following a practice start.
The rest of the top 10 was completed by George Russell in seventh, Carlos Sainz in eighth, Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth for Kick Sauber, and Pierre Gasly rounding out the top 10 for Alpine. The Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar followed in P11 and P12 respectively, ahead of Hülkenberg in P13. Ferrari endured a muted opening session with Charles Leclerc and Hamilton only 14th and 15th, Leclerc lamenting that the Scuderia were “miles off” the pace.
Further back, Tsunoda’s earlier off consigned him to 16th, while Haas pair Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman bookended Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto in 17th, 19th, and 18th respectively. Antonelli, stranded after his red-flag-inducing Turn 9 excursion, was left classified in 20th without further running.
With heavy rain forecast later in the day, the long-run laps logged on mediums in the final quarter could prove crucial for race preparation. But for now, it’s McLaren—and Norris in particular—who carry momentum into the heart of Verstappen’s home weekend.
2025 Dutch GP FP1 Results
2025 Dutch Grand Prix FP1, 29 August 2025
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME / GAP | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:10.278 | 34 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.292s | 31 |
| 3 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.501s | 24 |
| 4 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.563s | 24 |
| 5 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.893s | 32 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.940s | 23 |
| 7 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +1.108s | 28 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.180s | 32 |
| 9 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.231s | 29 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.335s | 29 |
| 11 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.475s | 28 |
| 12 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.494s | 29 |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +1.597s | 29 |
| 14 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.673s | 31 |
| 15 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.682s | 27 |
| 16 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +1.848s | 23 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.866s | 28 |
| 18 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.998s | 26 |
| 19 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +2.286s | 29 |
| 20 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +3.997s | 6 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 29 August 2025 – 31 August 2025
Race date: Sunday, 31 August, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Circuit Zandvoort
Laps: 72
Circuit length: 4.259km
2024 winner: Lando Norris
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