By: After a long summer break, Formula 1 is finally back on track. This weekend, the 22 drivers will take on the Dutch circuit of Zandvoort, which, barring surprises, is set to make what will, for now at least, be its final appearance on the Circus calendar.
The main talking point of the weekend concerns Red Bull: Isack Hadjar has been forced to hand over the cockpit of his car to Liam Lawson due to the wrist injury he sustained in recent days. According to Sky Sport, the Frenchman could even be sidelined until the Madrid Grand Prix. Yuki Tsunoda has meanwhile returned to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad, taking Lawson's place.
When the lights turned green and the drivers were able to take to the track, the circuit was still damp following overnight rain. Nico Hulkenberg, who ventured out on intermediate tyres, told his team over the radio that conditions were already good enough to switch to slicks.
Lewis Hamilton also began the session on intermediates, setting a 1:25.562. Oscar Piastri, by contrast, opted for the medium compound and immediately lowered the benchmark to 1:23.311, more than two seconds quicker. However, Kimi Antonelli set a far more competitive reference, stopping the clock at 1:18.264 on his first attempt before immediately improving to 1:16.112.
With 40 minutes remaining, the drivers began to raise the pace. After an initial time still some way off the front, Charles Leclerc moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:14.925, a time subsequently beaten by team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
The session also featured a few incidents of note. Andrea Kimi Antonelli spun, but managed to keep control of the Mercedes and avoid damage. Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, ran off track but returned to the circuit with floor damage from running through the gravel.
With fewer than 30 minutes remaining before the chequered flag, and before the drivers began their race simulations, Charles Leclerc returned to the top by improving on Hamilton's benchmark by 113 thousandths, lowering the reference to 1:14.146. As this was the weekend's only hour of free practice, teams were forced to split their work between qualifying preparation and race simulations.
The qualifying simulation on soft tyres then began in the final 10 minutes. Oscar Piastri was the first to set a competitive time, lowering the Monegasque's benchmark by more than half a second to 1:13.608. Leclerc responded immediately, however, stopping the clock at 1:13.347.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris then posted a 1:13.105, before Kimi Antonelli became the first driver to break the 1:13 barrier with an excellent 1:12.949. George Russell finished behind him in third with a 1:13.074. The full session classification follows below.
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Dutch GP 2026
