F1 qualifying: Max Verstappen on pole for Dutch GP as Sergio Perez spin prevents Hamilton and Russell
Follow all the reaction to qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort
The Formula 1 season continues after its return in Belgium last week with this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, with Max Verstappen holding a healthy 93-point lead in the World Championship with eight races to go.
The Red Bull star stormed to victory at Spa-Francorchamps at the weekend, winning by a margin of 18 seconds to team-mate Sergio Perez despite starting in P14 due to an engine penalty; Carlos Sainz took the other podium spot as he held off George Russell late on, while Charles Leclerc finished sixth. Lewis Hamilton retired for the first time this season following a first-lap collision with the Alpine of Fernando Alonso.
This weekend sees F1 roll into Zandvoort, which returned to the calendar last year when Verstappen comfortably won his home Grand Prix. The Mercedes duo of Russell and Hamilton earned Mercedes a one-two in first practice with Sainz third and Verstappen stopping after just 10 minutes due to a transmission issue. Second practice saw Leclerc lead a Ferrari one-two ahead of Sainz, with Hamilton third and Verstappen down in eighth with the news of Oscar Piastri signing for McLaren the main talking point from Friday.
Third practice saw Charles Leclerc go fastest - qualifying started at 2pm (BST).
Follow all the action here with The Independent:
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: George Russell...
“Not brilliant, the car was feeling good all weekend. It didn’t come together for me today. A little bit frustrating.
“We need to give it everything. P6 isn’t a terrible place to start but I see no reason that we can’t fight for a podium.
“I hope Ferrari put all their focus on Max which leaves them vulnerable. I think we have more pace than Ferrari and Sergio.”
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc...
“It’s pretty obvious I made a mistake in turn 10, I lost a tenth. It happens when you push to the limit but it’s good when we’re fighting for pole position.”
“At the end we managed to do a good lap anyway. Carlos and I are starting right behind Max so hopefully that can be a bit of help.
“Early start, P1 into turn one, leave Max behind! We will always try to work together to get the win.”
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Toto Wolff...
“Very frustrating, we were a tenth up on Verstappen and Leclerc so Lewis was going for the podium. But it’s not the case in the end.
“He [Sergio] pushed it a lot and lost it, it’s not his fault.
“You lose the pole because of a yellow, you always know better afterwards.
“Anything is possible, we have a strong race car, starting second row so let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Qualifying report!
Max Verstappen delivered the goods in front of 105,000 orange-clad fans by putting his Red Bull on pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix. Verstappen’s preparations for qualifying were dealt a blow when he missed a large chunk of practice on Friday following a gearbox failure.
But the world champion came up with a lap when it mattered most to see off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by just 0.021 seconds and claim the 17th pole of his career on his seemingly unstoppable march towards the championship.
Carlos Sainz took third, one place ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who spun in the closing stages, finished fifth. George Russell was sixth. Verstappen headed into qualifying having failed to top any of the three practice sessions in Zandvoort, the coastal town 25 miles west of Amsterdam.
But the championship leader, 93 points clear of Perez and 98 points ahead of Leclerc in the standings, took pole with his final throw of the dice to the delight of his home crowd. Hamilton’s Mercedes team are in much better shape than a week ago in Belgium with the short, twisty Zandvoort track better suited to their machinery.
But both Hamilton and Russell failed to improve with their final runs after Perez’s late spin saw the yellow flags deployed in the final sector. Hamilton finished three tenths back, with Russell eight tenths slower than Verstappen.
Verstappen takes pole position at Dutch GP as Mercedes fall just short once again
The world champion will start Sunday’s race in Zandvoort at the front of the grid
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Sergio Perez..
“I was lucky not to damage the car, it was going to be a bit shunt. I lost the rear, I was on a good lap but I didn’t manage to improve.
“It’s going to be a tricky one but I will try my best to have a strong race-pace tomorrow. We have good options tomorrow but hopefully we can have a strong pace...”
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Christian Horner...
“All sportsmen are at the top of their game when the pressure moments come - that was one of those. With a home crowd, it’s so easy to make a mistake but he responded perfectly and did the perfect lap.
“Having got that Championship last year, that has released him of a certain element of pressure. He’s demonstrated throughout the year that he’s been outstanding.
“The hard work that goes on behind the scenes. It’s all about teamwork, to come back and get the pole position is beyond what we expected today.”
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Here’s the grid for tomorrow!
1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. Carlos Sainz
4. Lewis Hamilton
5. Sergio Perez
6. George Russell
7. Lando Norris
8. Mick Schumacher
9. Yuki Tsuonda
10. Lance Stroll
11. Pierre Gasly
12. Esteban Ocon
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Guanyu Zhou
15. Alex Albon
16. Valtteri Bottas
17. Daniel Ricciardo
18. Kevin Magnussen
19. Sebastian Vettel
20. Nicholas Latifi
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Carlos Sainz...
“It was a clean lap with no mistakes, just missing that last tenth. Every metre of track you could use counted. I think in the end we did a decent job.
“Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day, a lot going on. There should be many options with the strategy.”
F1 qualifying - Dutch Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc:
“Very very close. Max did a great lap in the end. In Q3 the car came together and I managed to do that lap which was close enough for P2.
“We are much stronger here than last week. Our race-pace is quite strong, we need to do a great start and than we’ll see...”
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