Lando Norris put a formidable pace for qualifying at the head of a dominant McLaren One-Two in the last practice session in the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Zandvoort circuit started green after overnight storms, but the track quickly grabbed up in brilliant sunshine and as more rubber was laid.
Norris led on softs after the first laps, although a second attempted rubber teammate Oscar Piastri with just over 0.1s left. But the Brit placed himself far out of reach with his only push round on his second set of fresh softs.
Norris became purple times in all three sectors and shot at a best time of 1M08.972S. It was faster than its pole position time from 2024 and only 0.087s slower than the track record, in the hands of Max Verstappen and set in 2021.
Piastri’s answer placed him 0.242S of his teammate’s benchmark with a round that was a bit filthy in the first sector, but otherwise absent an obvious mistake. A second round on softs did not give the Australian a general profit, but saw him squeeze the purple last sector.
Unlike Friday, there was no other driver in the same competition as McLaren to separate Piastri from Norris. George Russell was the closest to the order, but the Mercedes driver was an ominous 0.886s of the pace.
Russell’s session could get even worse, set with the Brit to see the stewards after the session about an incident with Fernando Alonso at Pit Entry late in the hour.
Alonso, who completed a flying round, found a slowly moving Russell on the racing line and tried to give him on the right. Russell, however, seemed to decide too late to enter Pit Lane and suddenly float to the right. Alonso was forced to avoid a collision, while Russell smelled back on the track when he realized what he had done.
The Spaniard, who was an impressive second at the end of Friday, finished FP3 in 10th and 1.26s of the pace.
Carlos Sainz was a strong fourth, the Williams driver who ignored 0.841s from the pace to Pip Home Favorite Max Verstappen to the place with 0.012s.
Charles Leclerc was the best -placed representative of Ferrari, 0.966s from the pace in the sixth. That places Mercedes, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari – together with Williams – separated by only 0.08s only a few hours before they qualify.
Alex Albon was seventh in the second Williams car for Lance Stroll, whose Aston Martin -Team had to work the night to repair his destroyed car after his large FP2 crash.
Isack Hardjar was the ninth fastest after missing the entire FP2 with a problem with the power unit, while teammate Liam Lawson was 0.134s further back in the 11th, the racing bulls pair that Alonso Sandwichen in the 10th.
Yuki Tsunoda was 12th and 0.424s slower than Verstappen.
Gabriel Bortoleto was 13th for Lewis Hamilton, Oliver Bearman, Nico Hulkenberg, Andrea Kimi Antonelli – who unexpectedly had to draw during qualifying simulations with a matter of gear change – and Esteban Ocon.
Alpine has passed a terrible session, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto that locked the last two places. Gasly was 1,991s from the pace, while Colapinto was 0.091s further back.
Result
#Norris #completes #Dutch #General #Practice #Sweep #Racer