Kimi Antonelli Sets Pace in Sole Practice Session for Dutch Grand Prix

Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli opened the second half of the season by setting the fastest time during Friday’s sole practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver, who will celebrate his 20th birthday next week, navigated the seaside Zandvoort circuit in one minute 12.949 seconds. Despite a rainy start to the day, the track dried out, allowing McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris to secure the second-fastest time, finishing 0.121 seconds behind the leader. McLaren is currently aiming for a third consecutive victory at this venue, following Norris’s win in Hungary prior to the August break.

The weekend features a sprint format, with qualifying for Saturday’s 100km points-scoring race scheduled for later on Friday, while qualifying for Sunday’s main event will take place on Saturday afternoon. George Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate, finished third, 0.125 seconds off the pace. Lewis Hamilton, who trails Antonelli by 50 points in the championship standings after 11 rounds, placed fourth for Ferrari, finishing 0.190 seconds slower than the leader. During the session, Antonelli experienced a 360-degree spin with 30 minutes remaining.

Rounding out the top five was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, followed by McLaren’s 2025 winner Oscar Piastri and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly took eighth, marking the final driver to finish within a second of Antonelli’s benchmark at a track hosting its final Formula One race for the foreseeable future. Local favorite and four-time world champion Max Verstappen struggled with oversteer, managing only the 11th fastest time.

In the Red Bull garage, Liam Lawson stepped in for the injured Isack Hadjar—who is sidelined with a wrist injury—and finished 14th. Racing Bulls saw Arvid Lindblad take 10th, while Yuki Tsunoda, serving as a temporary replacement for Lawson, ended the session in 17th. Meanwhile, Aston Martin demonstrated progress with an upgraded Honda engine, helping Fernando Alonso reach 12th place, while his teammate Lance Stroll finished 18th. The report also notes that the Italian, ​who turns ⁠20 next week, lapped the seaside Zandvoort circuit ‌in a best time ‌of one minute 12.949 seconds with McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris second and 0.121 slower on a dry track after a rainy.