McLaren rolled into Zandvoort and painted the timing screens papaya. Lando Norris swept all three sessions, Oscar Piastri sat on his shoulder, and everyone else looked like they were queueing for the beach tram.
Free Practice 1
1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m10.278s
2) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.292s
3) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.501s
4) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.563s
5) Alex Albon (Williams) +0.893s
6) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.940s
7) George Russell (Mercedes) +1.108s
8) Carlos Sainz (Williams) +1.180s
9) Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1.231s
10) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1.335s
11) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1.475s
12) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1.494s
13) Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +1.597s
14) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.673s
15) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +1.682s
16) Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +1.848s
17) Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1.866s
18) Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1.998s
19) Ollie Bearman (Haas) +2.286s
20) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +3.997s
Free Practice 2
1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m09.890s
2) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.087s
3) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.089s
4) George Russell (Mercedes) +0.384s
5) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.588s
6) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.848s
7) Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +0.905s
8) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.944s
9) Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1.067s
10) Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +1.080s
11) Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.223s
12) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1.295s
13) Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1.430s
14) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1.449s
15) Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1.471s
16) Carlos Sainz (Williams) +1.792s
17) Alex Albon (Williams) +1.866s
18) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +2.085s
19) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +2.232s
20) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) No time
Free Practice 3
1) Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m09.214s
2) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.242s
3) George Russell (Mercedes) +0.886s
4) Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.941s
5) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.953s
6) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.966s
7) Alex Albon (Williams) +1.127s
8) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1.131s
9) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1.194s
10) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1.260s
11) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1.328s
12) Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +1.377s
13) Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1.389s
14) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +1.401s
15) Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.623s
16) Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +1.627s
17) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1.725s
18) Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1.829s
19) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1.991s
20) Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +2.082s
The topline
- Norris clean sweep: P1 in FP1 (1:10.278), FP2 (1:09.890) and FP3 (1:08.972/official sheet later updated to 1:09.214 on the session wrap you shared). Either way: clear benchmark.
- Piastri right there: Within three-tenths in every session. McLaren’s one-lap and long-run pace both look ominous.
- Mercedes best of the rest: Russell P4 in FP2 and P3 in FP3. Quietly efficient.
- Aston Martin rollercoaster: Stroll P3 in FP1 then a heavy FP2 shunt; Alonso split the McLarens in FP2 (P2) but only P10 in FP3 after a near-miss with Russell at pit entry.
- Verstappen on the back foot at home: Off into the gravel after FP1 practice start; only P5 in FP2 and P5 in FP3. He’s saying top-five might be the ceiling.
- Ferrari unsettled: Spins for Hamilton on Friday; Leclerc calling it a “wake-up call,” then both improved Saturday (Leclerc P6, Hamilton P14 in FP3).
- Williams volatile: Albon lively in FP1 (P5) then crashed in FP2; Sainz fired it up to P4 in FP3.
- Rookies & juniors: Antonelli beached in FP1, reset well in FP2 (P12). Hadjar no time in FP2, then P9 in FP3. Bortoleto consistently tidy around the fringes of the top-10/12.
Session by session
FP1:
Norris led a McLaren 1–2 from Piastri. Stroll/Alonso 3–4 signalled genuine Aston speed before the crash drama came later. Albon impressive in P5. Verstappen had an off after the flag; Antonelli’s early gravel visit caused the red flag.
FP2:
Red-flag chaos (Stroll’s Turn 3 hit, then Albon at T1). When it ran, Norris dipped into the 1:09s to top Alonso by 0.087s with Piastri third. Russell P4, Verstappen P5. Hamilton and Leclerc in the top-10, Tsunoda solid. Hadjar stuck on zero laps.
FP3:
Overnight rain, rapidly evolving track. Quali sims put McLaren back on top: Norris from Piastri by ~0.24s, then Russell and Sainz. Verstappen only fifth. Notable scare: Russell vs Alonso at pit entry, investigated. Stroll rebounded to P8; Hadjar P9.
Winners of Friday/Saturday practice
- McLaren: Fast in every corner type, control in traffic, and low-fuel brute pace. Title contenders behaving like title winners.
- George Russell: Calm, repeatable “best of the rest” form when others yo-yo’d.
- Williams (Sainz side): Rough Friday, sharp Saturday. P4 in FP3 is big on a track where quali matters.
Headaches brewing
- Red Bull (Max): Balance window still elusive. If they don’t unlock front bite before quali, track position will hurt on Sunday.
- Ferrari: The car’s slow-corner deficit showed; recovery’s possible but starting position will dictate their race.
- Aston volatility: Pace glimpses are real (Alonso P2 in FP2), but Stroll’s crash and the pit-entry scare underline how thin their margin is.
Fastest laps snapshot
- FP1: Norris 1:10.278 (from Piastri +0.292, Stroll +0.501)
- FP2: Norris 1:09.890 (from Alonso +0.087, Piastri +0.089)
- FP3: Norris 1:09.214 (sheet you shared) / 1:08.972 (session text), ahead of Piastri (+0.242), Russell (+0.886)
What it means for Qualifying
Zandvoort rewards rhythm and clean air. Right now, pole is McLaren’s to lose, with Norris the favourite and Piastri a real threat if Sector 1 magic turns into a full lap. Row 2 looks like a brawl between Russell, Sainz and Verstappen. If Ferrari don’t qualify up front, they’ll be stuck behind orange papaya and Dutch flags all afternoon.
