By Alan Baldwin
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands, Aug 22 (Reuters) – Formula One champion Lando Norris beat Mercedes title contenders George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to earn McLaren a third successive Dutch Grand Prix pole position on Saturday.
The pole, with drivers scrambling to get their laps in before forecast rain at the seaside Zandvoort circuit, was also the second in a row for Norris after he won in Hungary from the top slot before the August break.
Norris now has a great chance to win on Sunday, given that the driver on pole has always won the Dutch round ever since it returned to the calendar in 2021 following a 34-year absence.
Sunday’s race will be the last in that sequence, with Zandvoort’s old-school layout dropping off the calendar for the foreseeable future.
HAD TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
The Briton said Mercedes-powered McLaren had made setup changes after he finished third in the sprint won by Russell.
“We had to try something because what we had before wasn’t going to be enough,” he said.
“So we made some small changes, nothing that wasn’t going to make us gain two tenths or one tenth even, but enough to maybe give me a bit more confidence.”
Norris had set the provisional best time of one minute 11.344 seconds and put pole out of reach with a 1:11.163.
Russell ended up 0.102 slower and Antonelli, the championship leader who had briefly gone top with his second effort, was 0.133 off the pace.
“I thought we had it in there to fight for pole, but I’m pretty satisfied with P2, especially going back after such a tough last few races before the break, sort of get in my groove again and try to fight with them tomorrow,” Russell said.
Antonelli felt a mistake on his final run had also cost him a couple of tenths, a critical amount in such a close battle.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, last year’s race winner from pole after Norris triumphed in 2024, was fourth fastest and 0.142 slower than his teammate.
The Australian was passed by Russell coming out of the pitlane for his final lap, such was the Mercedes driver’s urgency to get out.
HAMILTON HOPEFUL HE CAN CHALLENGE
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli’s closest rival in the standings but 53 points behind after the sprint race, qualified fifth for Ferrari with teammate Charles Leclerc, second in the sprint, sixth and 0.064 slower.
Hamilton got his best lap in later than the rest, rewarded by the threatened rain turning out to be little more than dark skies and a few drops.
“I feel optimistic. Fifth is not the greatest but it could be far worse, so I’m grateful to be there but of course I wish I was up further ahead,” he said.
“With the right strategy and right execution I think hopefully we can challenge the cars ahead.”
Home hero Max Verstappen, a three-times winner at Zandvoort in front of his Orange Army of fans, qualified seventh for Red Bull with stand-in teammate Liam Lawson, moving up from Racing Bulls to replace the injured Isack Hadjar, set to line up in eighth place.
“We changed quite a bit and it didn’t make a difference,” said Verstappen of the team’s efforts between the sprint and qualifying. “The balance was pretty much the same as what I had all weekend so it didn’t really allow me to push or feel comfortable with the car.”
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto qualified ninth with rookie Arvid Lindblad 10th for Racing Bulls.
Further back, Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda secured 12th place on the grid in his unexpected comeback after taking Lawson’s vacated seat at Racing Bulls.
Aston Martin’s upgraded Honda engine, finally coupled with the latest chassis, provided a modest improvement with Fernando Alonso qualifying 18th and Lance Stroll 19th.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Ed Osmond and Ken Ferris)
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