Dutch Grand Prix Practice F1 Results Today: Lewis Hamilton beaten as Max Verstappen party falls flat at Dutch Grand Prix

Dutch Grand Prix Practice F1 Results Today: Lewis Hamilton beaten as Max Verstappen party falls flat at Dutch Grand Prix

Formula 1 returned to action at Zandvoort on Friday as teams began preparations for the Dutch Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli immediately setting the pace in the only practice session of the weekend.

The session started with the circuit still slightly damp, leading a small number of drivers to briefly experiment with intermediate tyres. However, the conditions improved rapidly, and the field soon moved onto slick tyres as the track became suitable for dry-weather running.

Antonelli emerged as the standout performer. The Mercedes driver posted a 1:12.949 lap to finish at the top of the timesheets, narrowly beating McLaren’s Lando Norris. George Russell completed a strong showing for Mercedes by taking third, only fractions of a second behind his team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton ended the session fourth in the early running, giving Ferrari a respectable start to the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. Charles Leclerc was also among the leading drivers, while Ferrari continued gathering information from the latest changes made to its SF-26.

The bigger talking point, however, was Max Verstappen’s position.

With the Dutchman competing at his home race, expectations were high for Red Bull. Instead, Verstappen finished down in 11th after the opening practice session. His result looked particularly disappointing on the timing screens, although there was a significant reason not to read too much into it.

Verstappen did not complete a representative qualifying-style lap on his final set of tyres, meaning his 11th-place position may not accurately reflect the actual pace of the Red Bull. The team will therefore be hoping for a much stronger showing when the competitive sessions begin.

Liam Lawson, meanwhile, finished 14th after being temporarily promoted to Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda, who returned to Racing Bulls for the weekend, ended the session in 17th.

The opening practice result gives Mercedes an encouraging start, with Antonelli once again demonstrating the speed that has kept him at the front of the championship fight.

For Hamilton and Ferrari, the session provided useful data but also highlighted the work still required to close the gap to Mercedes. Ferrari arrived at Zandvoort with several upgrades aimed at improving the SF-26, making the team’s performance one of the key storylines of the weekend.

For Verstappen, the opening session was far from the kind of start expected at his home Grand Prix. However, with the Dutchman not completing a representative final tyre run, Red Bull’s true competitive level remains difficult to judge.

The attention now shifts toward the more important sessions, where the drivers will have another opportunity to establish the real pecking order at Zandvoort.

With Mercedes looking strong, Ferrari searching for more performance and Verstappen facing an early deficit, the Dutch Grand Prix weekend has already produced plenty of intrigue.