Antonelli tops sole practice session at Dutch Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli recorded the quickest lap in the single practice session for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, posting a time of 1:12.949 on soft tyres. The championship leader achieved the mark in the final minutes of the session, after an earlier lap was compromised by traffic and a brief spin at Turn 10.

Lando Norris finished second for McLaren, 0.121 seconds slower, while teammate George Russell was third, 0.125 seconds behind Antonelli. Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc placed fourth and fifth, respectively, within three-tenths of the leading time. Oscar Piastri’s McLaren was sixth, 0.659 seconds off Antonelli’s benchmark.

In the midfield, Nico Hulkenberg led the group in an Audi on medium tyres, followed by Pierre Gasly, who is testing Alpine’s major upgrade, and Hulkenberg’s teammate Gabriel Bortoleto. Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten for Racing Bulls, ahead of Max Verstappen, who returned to Red Bull after a brief hiatus.

Red Bull faced challenges as Verstappen dealt with understeer and rookie Liam Lawson, who learned of his RB22 drive only days earlier, struggled at the Turn 11/12 chicane, finishing 14th. Carlos Sainz’s Williams was the slowest, ending 22nd after multiple off-track excursions.

The new Honda engine upgrade completed 49 laps and helped Fernando Alonso to 12th place, 1.5 seconds off the pace. Yuki Tsunoda, making his first appearance for Racing Bulls, qualified 17th, eight months after losing his Red Bull seat.