Just In: 2026 Winners and Losers from Sprint Qualifying at F1’s Dutch GP

2026 Winners and Losers from Sprint Qualifying at F1’s Dutch GP

Formula 1 returned from its summer break with an intriguing sprint qualifying session at Zandvoort, where the battle for pole position was extremely close and several drivers produced performances that stood out for very different reasons.

George Russell emerges as the biggest winner

George Russell enjoyed one of the strongest moments of the session, securing pole position for Saturday’s Dutch Grand Prix Sprint. The Mercedes driver produced a 1:11.567 lap in SQ3, edging Lando Norris by just 0.041 seconds.

Russell’s result was particularly impressive because teammate Kimi Antonelli had topped the only practice session earlier in the day. When the pressure increased in qualifying, however, Russell found the extra pace and delivered Mercedes another important sprint pole.

Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc impress

Norris narrowly missed out on first place but still secured an excellent second position. The McLaren driver was followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished just 0.055 seconds behind Russell.

Oscar Piastri completed the top four, meaning the leading drivers were separated by less than a tenth of a second. The remarkably tight margins highlighted just how competitive the front of the field was at Zandvoort.

Red Bull face a difficult session

Max Verstappen could manage only sixth place in front of his home crowd, while Red Bull newcomer Liam Lawson finished 11th. The result suggested that Red Bull lacked the overall pace of Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari.

Verstappen appeared more comfortable with the RB22 than he had been during practice, but the car still lacked the balance and grip required to challenge for the front row. The team will therefore need to make the most of the adjustments available before the Sprint.

Yuki Tsunoda provides a positive surprise

Yuki Tsunoda was another driver who emerged from the session with plenty of credit. He qualified 12th after stepping into the Racing Bulls seat and produced a respectable performance despite limited familiarity with the car.

His result was especially encouraging given the circumstances surrounding his return to the team. Tsunoda now has an opportunity to build on that performance during the Sprint.

Aston Martin suffer major disappointment

Aston Martin endured one of the toughest sessions of the afternoon. Fernando Alonso qualified 22nd after encountering problems that prevented him from using the car’s straight-line mode effectively.

The team had shown more promise during practice, making the qualifying result particularly frustrating. Lance Stroll also struggled and ended the session in 19th.

With the Sprint still to come, Aston Martin will be hoping to understand the problems quickly and find a way to recover some performance at Zandvoort.

Overall, Russell’s pole, Norris and Leclerc’s strong qualifying performances, and the struggles of Red Bull and Aston Martin provided several contrasting storylines from the opening competitive session of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.