George Russell secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint at Circuit Zandvoort, outpacing Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc in a tightly contested session. The Mercedes driver’s performance marked his third Sprint pole of the current 2026 Formula 1 season. Russell posted a time of 1:11.567.
Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, qualified in second place, just 0.041 seconds behind Russell. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top three, with a lap time only 0.055 seconds slower than the pole sitter.
Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate, secured fourth position, demonstrating the team’s competitive pace. The top four drivers were separated by less than one-tenth of a second, highlighting the close nature of the session.
Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, qualified fifth for Mercedes. Max Verstappen, competing in his home Grand Prix, placed sixth for Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton, in the second Ferrari, finished the session in seventh.
Liam Lawson, making his return to Red Bull to replace the injured Isack Hadjar, was eliminated in the second part of Sprint Qualifying. Lawson finished 11th, having been called up from Racing Bulls for this event.
Fernando Alonso experienced a challenging session, ending SQ1 in 22nd position. The Aston Martin driver ran wide at Turn 1, Tarzan, due to a locked brake and an issue with his car’s Straight Mode.
Aston Martin has faced performance issues throughout the 2026 season, with Alonso having scored only one point prior to this event. The team introduced a Honda engine upgrade for the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
The Dutch Grand Prix weekend marks the first time Zandvoort has hosted a Sprint event. This format includes a single practice session followed by Sprint Qualifying on Friday.
The full top 10 for the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint is as follows: 1. George Russell (Mercedes), 2. Lando Norris (McLaren), 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), 10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls).
Drivers eliminated in SQ1 included Ollie Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, and Fernando Alonso. SQ2 saw the elimination of Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Franco Colapinto, Nico Hulkenberg, and Esteban Ocon.
