Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort today, marking his second pole of the current Formula 1 season. The McLaren driver posted a decisive lap time of 1:09.234 during the final moments of Q3.
Norris expressed surprise at his performance, stating that he had to attempt something different to maintain an advantage over George Russell. The qualifying session was significantly affected by intermittent rain during Q3, creating challenging track conditions.
Russell, driving for Mercedes, finished a close second, missing pole by a mere 0.045 seconds. He acknowledged McLaren’s strong pace and adaptability in the changeable weather. Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull, 0.120 seconds behind Norris.
The McLaren team made strategic adjustments to Norris’s car between the sprint race and qualifying. Norris indicated that earlier setups were insufficient, necessitating small changes to boost confidence, which is crucial on a circuit like Zandvoort.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella commended Norris’s drive and the team’s swift reaction to the difficult conditions. Stella highlighted the engineering team’s efforts to fine-tune the car setup following a less optimal sprint performance.
Carlos Sainz of Ferrari qualified fourth, with teammate Charles Leclerc securing fifth position. Sergio Pérez completed the top six for Red Bull.
The top ten grid positions were rounded out by Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin, Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes, Oscar Piastri for McLaren, and Nico Hulkenberg for Haas.
During the sprint race on Friday, Norris finished third behind winner Max Verstappen and George Russell. The sprint qualifying session had seen extremely tight margins, with less than a tenth of a second separating the top four drivers.
