Kimi Andrea Antonelli set the pace in the opening practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, leading a tightly contested hour of running ahead of the sprint weekend schedule, according to sports reports.
The Mercedes driver clocked a fast lap of 1:12.949 during the final-minutes qualifying simulations on soft tires at the Circuit Zandvoort. Antonelli finished 121 milésimas ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, while George Russell claimed third at 125 milésimas back and Lewis Hamilton finished nearly two tenths behind the pacesetter. Antonelli stood out as the sole driver to dip below the 1:13 mark during the morning session.
Conditions at the Dutch venue shifted throughout the hour. Morning rain forced teams to start the session on intermediate wet-weather tires before the track dried out for slick tire running.
Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso Showcase Upgrades
Fernando Alonso secured twelfth place in the opening session, marking the competitive debut of Aston Martin’s new Honda engine update. According to reporting from Sport, the team evaluated the Sakura-manufactured power unit during a filming day following the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break.
The latest power unit follows the introduction of Adrian Newey’s evolved AMR26 B-chassis at the Hungaroring, which brought an initial performance step after a difficult first ten rounds of the season without upgrades. Alonso finished roughly a second and a half off Antonelli’s benchmark time, positioning himself near the top ten and targeting a place in SQ2 during the afternoon’s sprint qualifying session.
Sainz Battles Williams Balance Issues
Carlos Sainz endured a difficult start to the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. The Spanish driver suffered three separate track excursions that damaged the floor of his Williams, leaving him at the bottom of the timesheets, 3.7 seconds off the pace.
Despite recently inking a lucrative contract renewal with Williams, Sainz continues to contend with a car that has struggled near the back of the field. Coverage indicates the team will rely on an upcoming car package scheduled for Baku to address their current performance deficit.
Session Summary and Next Steps
The Dutch Grand Prix weekend operates under the sprint format, making the sole practice session critical for setup work before parc fermé conditions take effect. Teams turn their attention immediately to the sprint qualifying session on Friday afternoon to set the grid for the shorter Saturday race.
Worth a look
