2026 Dutch GP FP1: Norris, Russell with late gains as Antonelli tops Tim

Kimi Antonelli wasted little time getting back up to speed after Formula 1’s summer break, topping the only practice session of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix weekend despite surviving a spin in tricky conditions at Zandvoort.

The Mercedes driver produced a 1m 12.949s late in FP1 to beat McLaren’s Lando Norris by just 0.121s, while teammate George Russell was only another four thousandths behind in third. It was an encouraging start for the championship leader and an important one given the unusual demands of the weekend.

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With Zandvoort hosting the Sprint format for the first time, Friday’s opening practice represented the teams’ only 60 minutes of preparation before Sprint Qualifying later in the afternoon. There was therefore no gentle return to business after the shutdown, particularly with this weekend also set to mark Formula 1’s final visit to Zandvoort.

2026 Dutch Grand Prix FP1 Results

2026 Dutch Grand Prix FP1, 21 August 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:12.949	36
2	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.121s	30
3	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.125s	37
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.190s	34
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.289s	39
6	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.659s	35
7	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+0.835s	34
8	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+0.962s	28
9	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.043s	29
10	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.336s	37
11	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+1.376s	25
12	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+1.562s	25
13	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.877s	31
14	30	Liam Lawson	Red Bull Racing	+1.912s	30
15	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.925s	32
16	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.948s	31
17	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+2.161s	35
18	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+2.250s	24
19	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.408s	33
20	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+2.631s	28
21	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.751s	28
22	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+3.396s	32

The session began at 1230 local time, and almost the entire field headed straight onto the circuit as teams attempted to maximise every available minute. Conditions made that task considerably more complicated.

The track had officially been declared wet, with damp patches remaining around the lap following earlier rain, meaning the first runners initially ventured out on Pirelli’s intermediate tyres. It did not take long for the crossover to arrive, however, and after only a handful of laps drivers began switching to slicks as the racing line rapidly dried.

Lap times tumbled accordingly.

Antonelli, who arrived in the Netherlands holding a 50-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship, was among the first drivers to establish himself near the front. Approaching the 15-minute mark, the Italian moved to the top with a 1m 15.351s on the medium compound as confidence and grip levels continued to build.

Russell then became the first driver to break into the 1m 14s, recording a 1m 14.951s as Mercedes initially looked comfortable around the narrow, banked Dutch circuit.

Not everyone enjoyed such a straightforward start. Carlos Sainz ran wide at Turn 13 and found the gravel, managing to recover and return his Williams to the pits. His difficulties were not finished there, with the Spaniard later heading off the road again at Turn 11.

As the circuit continued to improve, Ferrari began to make its presence felt. Charles Leclerc moved to the head of the order before Lewis Hamilton went quicker still, the seven-time World Champion producing a 1m 14.259s to underline Ferrari’s early pace.

Antonelli’s session was not completely clean either.

Just before the halfway point, the Mercedes driver lost control on the exit of Turn 10 and spun. Antonelli was able to recover without making contact, but his immediate radio reaction – “I don’t know what happened there” – summed up how unpredictable grip remained around parts of the circuit.

Leclerc subsequently lowered the benchmark to a 1m 14.146s, a time which remained unbeaten until the final 10 minutes of the session. With only one practice hour available, teams used much of the middle phase for longer runs and data gathering rather than immediately chasing headline lap times.

That changed as the clock ran down.

The soft, red-walled tyre began appearing for the final qualifying-style simulations, producing another rapid reshuffle of the timing screens. Leclerc, Hamilton and Norris all enjoyed spells at the top as the track reached its quickest point of the session.

Antonelli ultimately had the final say.

In the closing minutes, the Mercedes driver delivered his 1m 12.949s to take P1, completing an impressive recovery from his earlier spin and laying down the early benchmark for the Sprint weekend. Rain was threatening to return as the chequered flag approached, but Antonelli’s time remained untouched.

Norris finished 0.121s behind in second, splitting the two Mercedes cars, while Russell’s best effort left him 0.125s away from his team mate in third.

The margins immediately behind were similarly tight. Hamilton ended FP1 fourth, just 0.190s slower than Antonelli, with Leclerc fifth at 0.289s off the pace. Oscar Piastri placed the second McLaren sixth, giving Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari control of the top six positions heading into Sprint Qualifying.

Behind the leading trio of teams, Nico Hulkenberg delivered a strong start for Audi by taking seventh. Pierre Gasly put Alpine eighth, with the second Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto ninth and Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10 for Racing Bulls.

For the thousands of Dutch fans packed into Zandvoort, there was no immediate home celebration at the top of the timesheets.

Max Verstappen finished only 11th for Red Bull after a relatively subdued opening hour. The Dutchman also had a minor moment of his own with an excursion at Turn 13, although he was able to continue without significant drama.

Fernando Alonso followed in 12th for Aston Martin, ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto in 13th. Liam Lawson took 14th on his return to the Red Bull line-up, having been drafted into the team in place of the injured Isack Hadjar.

Ollie Bearman headed Haas team mate Esteban Ocon in 15th and 16th respectively, while Yuki Tsunoda – returning with Racing Bulls – ended the session 17th. Lance Stroll was 18th for Aston Martin, with Williams driver Alex Albon 19th.

Cadillac occupied the next two positions, Valtteri Bottas finishing ahead of team mate Sergio Perez, while Sainz ended the session at the bottom of the order after his earlier off-track moment caused floor damage to his Williams.

It leaves an intriguing picture ahead of Sprint Qualifying. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari were separated by fine margins when the soft-tyre runs arrived, while Verstappen and Red Bull appear to have more performance to find before the competitive action begins.

Antonelli topped a damp-to-dry Dutch GP FP1 ahead of Norris and Russell, as Verstappen struggled to 11th in Zandvoort’s sole practice session.