Kimi Antonelli will start the Dutch Grand Prix from third position after a critical error during his final qualifying attempt. The Mercedes driver expressed regret over the mistake, which he believes cost him a potential pole position at Circuit Zandvoort. Lando Norris secured pole for McLaren.
Antonelli’s final flying lap in Q3 was compromised by an error in Turn 1. This misjudgment resulted in the loss of several tenths, ultimately placing him behind polesitter Norris and his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Norris delivered a strong performance to claim pole position for McLaren. His lap time of 1:09.234 proved just enough to edge out the competition in a tightly contested session at Zandvoort.
George Russell secured second place on the grid, ensuring a strong starting position for Mercedes. Russell’s best time was a 1:09.290, placing him only 0.056 seconds behind Norris.
Antonelli described the qualifying session as challenging overall. He stated he felt consistently on the back foot throughout the various stages of qualifying leading up to Q3.
Despite the earlier difficulties, Antonelli believed a chance for pole position existed in the final segment. He noted being two tenths down in Sector 1 on his last Q3 lap but felt he had recovered the time later in the lap before his error.
‘It was overall a difficult session for me,’ Antonelli stated. ‘I was always on the back foot, and on the last lap, I made a mistake in Turn 1, losing a couple of tenths. It was my fault. It’s a shame because I had a good chance for pole position.’
Norris commented on his pole lap, stating, ‘It was a challenging session, but the car felt fantastic. We pushed hard, and it paid off.’ Russell acknowledged McLaren’s strong performance, adding, ‘We were close, but Lando did a great job. Starting P2 gives us a good chance for the race.’
The official top ten qualifying results for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix are as follows: 1. Lando Norris (McLaren), 2. George Russell (Mercedes), 3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
Rounding out the top ten were 6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 8. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), 9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), and 10. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari).
The Zandvoort circuit presented a tricky challenge for many drivers during the session. Gusty winds were reported to have affected car balance, contributing to the demanding conditions.
