Lando Norris Tops Both Practice Sessions At Dutch Grand Prix

Last Updated:August 29, 2025, 21:13 IST

McLaren's Lando Norris leads both Dutch Grand Prix practice sessions at Zandvoort, outpacing Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri amid challenging conditions.

Lando Norris topped both practice sessions on Friday (Picture credit: AP)

McLaren’s Lando Norris set the pace at the Dutch Grand Prix on Friday, leading both practice sessions amidst challenging conditions that caused numerous driver errors and disruptions.

The British driver recorded the fastest lap in the second session at Zandvoort with a time of one minute 9.890 seconds, 0.087 seconds ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Championship leader and teammate Oscar Piastri was only 0.002 seconds behind Alonso, with McLaren proving to be the team to beat at the Dutch GP.

Although the predicted rain didn’t affect the second session, several incidents and interruptions occurred even in dry conditions.

First, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll locked up at high speed, collided with the fence, damaged his car’s front wing, and halted the session for debris clearance.

After an 11-minute pause, Isack Hadjar lost power and retired, causing another delay as the virtual safety car was deployed.

Next, Alex Albon from Williams went off into the gravel, locking up his front tyres completely.

Home favourite Max Verstappen found himself in fifth place, having beached his Red Bull in the gravel during the first hour-long practice session.

Earlier on Friday, Norris had held off Piastri to top the first practice session with a lap of one minute 10.278 seconds, 0.292 seconds ahead of the Australian.

The first session stayed dry but windy, causing many drivers to struggle with keeping their cars on the track.

Ferrari had a disappointing first practice, with Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finishing 14th and 15th respectively.

“We are miles off, like miles off the pace," complained a disgruntled Leclerc on team radio.

One of the main talking points leading up to the Dutch GP has been Hamilton’s mood, as his high-profile move from Mercedes to Ferrari has encountered difficulties.

Hamilton described himself as “completely useless" and suggested Ferrari should find a better driver after another disappointing finish in Hungary at the last GP.

The three-week summer break seemed to have lifted his spirits, and he told reporters he wanted to rediscover the “fun" in Formula One from now on.

However, Hamilton’s first practice run was anything but fun as he endured a full 360-degree spin, complaining of “flat spots all round" on the team radio.

Another spin marred his second practice session, but he ended up in sixth place.

McLaren aims to solidify their lead in the constructors’ race as their two drivers compete for the World Championship.

Piastri is only nine points ahead of Norris with 10 races remaining, and all eyes are on whether the teammates will be allowed to race competitively as the season’s business end approaches.

Verstappen finds himself in the unfamiliar territory of third overall, nearly 100 points behind Piastri.

He will be hoping the notoriously unpredictable weather in Zandvoort—close to the North Sea beach—will aid him.

Rain is forecast for all three days of the racing weekend, potentially causing “chaos," according to Verstappen, who excels in wet weather conditions.

(With AFP Inputs)

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Location :

Zandvoort, Netherlands

First Published:

August 29, 2025, 21:13 IST

News sports Lando Norris Tops Both Practice Sessions At Dutch Grand Prix

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