F1 Dutch GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2
Updates from the Friday practice sessions at Zandvoort for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix
As home favourite Max Verstappen gets ever closer to a second F1 championship crown, the Dutch fans are expected to be out in full force to support his endeavours.
Verstappen won the last race, at Spa-Francorchamps, at an absolute canter despite starting 14th on the grid. Team-mate Sergio Perez completed the Red Bull rout in Belgium with second place, as Carlos Sainz rescued a third place for Ferrari on a day where it struggled.
F1's trip to Zandvoort will be its second in a row after the seaside circuit was reinstated to the calendar last year, having been dropped at the end of 1985. Verstappen won last year's race.
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So, that's the next piece of the F1 driver market in place. All eyes will be on Alpine for its next move, now that it needs to find a new driver for 2023.
Breaking news
Here's the developing story on Piastri's McLaren deal confirmed by the CRB:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mclaren-confirms-piastri-for-f1-2023-after-crb-ruling/10362083/
Breaking news
Breaking news: The F1 Contract Recognition Board unanimously decides in favour of Oscar Piastri and McLaren, meaning the Australian will drive for the team in 2023 and 2024.
Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
F2 qualifying will restart in a minute with 3m57s left to go. So we'll get an official start time for F1 FP2 in due course.
And we are correct, as race direction confirms the start of FP2 will be delayed. It's because F2 qualifying is still ongoing, and is currently stalled by a second red flag of the session.
Green flag
Good afternoon one and all! It is nearly time for second practice at the Dutch GP but we reckon the start of the session will be delayed.
And we'll be back a little later for FP2 after we've had a spot of lunch - see you then!
Breaking news
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And that's your lot! Russell leads the session from Hamilton, Sainz and Norris, with Ricciardo and Leclerc completing the top six.
The final few minutes tick down, and there's very little in the way of improvement. A smattering of green micro-sectors on the timing board, but that's all she wrote.
Stopwatch
There's P2 for Hamilton, on a 1m12.695s having bolted on the softs. The Mercs have turned up to play.
Stopwatch
There's a 1m12.455s from Russell, who puts the Mercedes on top.
Hamilton is currently P18 but, like Verstappen, Vettel and Zhou, hasn't done a lap on softs. There's about 15 minutes left for any final FP1 runs.
P3 then for Russell, Mercedes were kidding us on. A 1m13.035s lifts him between Norris and Ricciardo.
Bottas' time was good enough for P15, which lifts him above both Mercedes. But Russell now looks like he's on a better lap...
Leclerc moves up to fourth in the times, 0.282s off of Sainz. Otherwise, it's quite quiet on track - Bottas looks like he's improving.
Perez has an off at Turn Something Or Other, the exit of T9 perhaps? He's still P5 on the timing board.
Tsunoda displaces Verstappen from the top 10, but Gasly displaces Tsunoda in turn. Neither Mercedes currently occupies the top 10, which is somewhat surprising.
Sainz looked to be starting another lap, but he's backed out. Magnussen moves up to eighth in the meantime, and then has a small complaint about a slow Hamilton. Leclerc also has a complain.
Breaking news
With 30 minutes gone, the top 10 stands as thus: Sainz, Norris, Ricciardo, Alonso, Perez, Schumacher, Ocon, Albon, Verstappen, Magnussen.
Stopwatch
There's Sainz though, with a 1m12.845s to go fastest, just under a tenth clear of Norris. Ricciardo is P3, ahead of Alonso as it stands.
Stopwatch
But there's Norris with a 1m12.929s on his own softs to rise to the top, at least giving the fans in orange something to get behind.
Stopwatch
Alonso goes top upon the restart, doing a 1m13.635s on softs. P2 for Albon, on softs as well, with a 1m14.668s.
Schumacher's incident has been reviewed and there will be no further investigation. It's as you were, and Bottas is first back out on track.
Green flag
And there we are! Green flag, let's get back on the horse.
The session will be back up and running very shortly.
An apparent incident has been noted by the stewards, suggesting Schumacher left the pitlane under the red flag.
The marshals have turned up to clear up the stranded RB18. Verstappen, in his Jos tribute helmet, is left to trudge back to the garage.
Red flag
The red flag is out as Verstappen reports an issue with the gearbox - which gets a bit of a crunch on before Turn 3. He'll need a clean-up crew.
Mechanical problem
There's a double yellow at "track sector six", but for WHO, Chris Kamara? It's Verstappen, and he's stopped on track!
Stopwatch
Verstappen goes even quicker with a 1m14.714s, going a full half-second quicker than Ricciardo.
Stopwatch
Verstappen did a 1m15.266s, but Ricciardo then does a 1m15.263s to scamper up to the top of the charts.
Vettel was leading Leclerc for quite a long way around the last lap, his Aston festooned with aero rakes. Leclerc eventually passes.
Stopwatch
Alonso did a 1m15.662s on mediums, but Norris goes top on hards with a 1m15.646s. Ricciardo goes third, also on the hardest compound.
The brief yellow was for Schumacher, who went off at the bit with fake gravel - Turn 12? He's back on now.
Stopwatch
Of the opening runners, Alonso has gone top with a 1m17.360s. The recently honoured Max Verstappen gets baulked by an Aston Martin.
No flares allowed, they said. The flare amnesty on the gate clearly helped deter the orange fog. Or not.
Green flag
There's the green flag, and a number of cars immediately get onto the road.
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