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Formula 1
Dutch GP
F1 Dutch GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2
All of the action from Friday practice at Zandvoort
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Summary
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Summary
- Ferrari first and second quickest in Dutch GP FP2, with Leclerc leading team-mate Sainz. Ocon third-quickest for Alpine, home hero Verstappen fifth
- Session was twice red-flagged for Mazepin's spin into the gravel at Turn 11 and Hamilton stopping on track with a loss of power
- Hamilton had earlier topped FP1 ahead of Verstappen
- Lengthy red flag after Vettel comes to a halt on exit of the pitlane with engine failure limits running
- Updated Zandvoort track hosts F1 for the first time since 1985
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Leaderboard
1. Leclerc, Ferrari
2. Sainz, Ferrari
3. Ocon, Alpine
4. Bottas, Mercedes
5. Verstappen, Red Bull
6. Alonso, Alpine
7. Gasly, AlphaTauri
8. Norris, McLaren
9. Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo
10. Vettel, Aston Martin
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07 hrs
34 min
18 sec
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Good morning and welcome to Autosport's live text commentary from the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
Zandvoort of course has a fabulous pedigree in motorsport, hosting a world championship round on 30 occasions between 1952 and 1985. But it's been a generation since F1 last raced on the famous dunes - and the track is much different now, with significantly reworked banking that the drivers are expecting to pose a unique physical challenge: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-zandvoort-could-be-a-pain-in-the-neck-for-f1-drivers/6659212/
Before we get into the action from practice, why not look back at six of the best moments from Zandvoort's rich history? From Gilles Villeneuve's famous three-wheeled antics in 1979, to one of the best wet weather duels in history in 1971 and the emergence of a future champion in 1975, it has produced some thrillers down the years. Could we be in for another hallowed instalment this year? https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/dutch-gp-memories-six-standout-moments-from-an-f1-classic-4982934/4982934/
After last week's travails (and thank you to those of you who stuck with us during the endless weather updates and puns), you'll be pleased to know that the forecast for FP1 shows a 0% chance of rain. Glorious.
Sun
The skies are clear and sunny, with air temperatures of 18-degrees C, and track temps around the 23-degree mark.
As you'd expect, the grandstands appear absolutely rammed with fans decked out in orange. Max Verstappen has plenty of home support for his first Dutch GP.
He'll be hoping that he fares better than the last Dutch driver to contest his home GP. Huub Rothengatter wasn't classified in his Osella in 1985, finishing 14 laps down.
Green flag
We're underway for FP1. Immediately both Ferraris, AlphaTauris, and Bottas in the Mercedes head out. With no data to fall back on, we expect a busy session as everybody gets a foothold.
Yellow flag
It's immediately an eventful start to the session for Tsunoda, who loses the rear end and has a lazy spin at Turn 10 on his hard tyres. No damage done though.
Stopwatch
Leclerc is the first man to set a competitive laptime, a 1m17.919s, but his effort on the hard tyres is immediately eclipsed by several others.
Three drivers broke into the 1m15s with their first laps on the medium tyres. It's currently Gasly on top, from Alonso and Ricciardo.
Now Ocon has had a moment, the Alpine driver running deep into the run-off at Turn 11.
Stopwatch
Sainz now becomes the first man into the 1m14s bracket, the Ferrari setting a 1m14.610s on the hard tyres.
Mechanical problem
Problems for Vettel - the Aston Martin driver trawls slowly back to the pits, reporting an MGU-K issue.
Stopwatch
We have a new driver on top of the pile, and it's one that will go down well with the fans. Verstappen takes top spot on the hard with a 1m13.045s.
Quote
"There's so much traffic," complains Stroll over the radio. "Yes, the whole circuit is traffic," replies his engineer.
Replays show Gasly had a bit of a scare into Turn 3. He locks up and has a big snap of oversteer which sends him up the banking - but the AlphaTauri driver catches the slide with a lockup and keeps it out of the wall.
Gasly is had been second a few moments ago, but there's been yet more shuffling at the top as Friday specialist Bottas puts himself above Verstappen into P1 on a 1m13.021. Just the 0.024s in it!
Bottas also did his time on the hards, so it's a hard-shod 1-2 currently, with Norris the fastest medium runner in third ahead of Gasly and Ricciardo. Stroll is sixth, the next driver using hards, just ahead of Hamilton.
Verstappen retakes top spot with a 1m12.850s. The F1 cars are absolutely flying around here this morning, clearly enjoying the cool but sunny conditions combined with new, grippy tarmac.
After his embarrassing early spin, Tsunoda is one of only two drivers yet to complete a representative time. He's in the garage along with Vettel, after that issue reported earlier.
Is anybody else somewhat reminded of Indianapolis with the banked final corner? We like it.
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It should be remarked upon that McLaren is, technically speaking, the defending event winner. No matter that it was 36 years ago. The late Niki Lauda was the winner that day, his final F1 win, ahead of team-mate Alain Prost and an upstart in a Lotus called Ayrton Senna. A podium for the ages, that.
Bottas improved last time around but just fell short of matching Verstappen. It's a 1m12.779s for the Finn.
Hamilton now also improves, still on the hard tyre like Bottas, to third with a 1m12.862s.
Yellow flag
Oh dear, more drama for Vettel. He's stopped out on track, reporting an engine failure, and runs over to a marshal to grab a fire extinguisher. It looks like he's stranded at the pit exit.
Vettel is having a rather animated conversation with a marshal. We'd love to hear suggestions of what was being said.
Red flag
Red flag - the session is halted to allow the stranded Aston Martin to be recovered.
The four-time world champion had gone back out on track after calling into the pits to explore an MGU-K issue and had set a 1m15.984s on the hard tyre before his engine let go.
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Marshals are at the scene dumping coating on the track surface, covered in oil left by Vettel's Aston. No word yet as to when the session will resume, but a flatbed lorry is in place for the car to be loaded onto.
Vettel hasn't yet gone to the Aston medical car that has gone to pick him up, and is still handling a fire extinguisher. Full marks for effort.
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Before the stoppage, Norris had gone fastest of anybody with a 1m12.679s. That time was set on the mediums though, with Verstappen, Bottas and Hamilton next up all on hards.
Only three drivers on the grid had been born when F1 last raced at Zandvoort. The trio are Hamilton (who was just months old), Alonso and Raikkonen, F1's elder statesman who was almost six at the time.
Temperatures are creeping up this morning - air temperatures almost a full degree above when the session started, while track temp is now at 25.3.
It would be remiss of us not to use the stoppage to give a shoutout to Adrian Zaugg. The first single-seater race this commentator recalls watching was the A1GP event in 2006 won by the South African, who promptly repeated the feat the following year.
Those Zandvoort successes were arguably the high point of Zaugg's career. A one-time Red Bull junior, he had two brief spells in GP2 for the Arden (2007) and Trident (2010) squads, and was among the original roster of factory drivers selected to race the then-new Lamborghini Huracan GT3 in 2015, winning that year's Italian GT title.
In case you'd wondered, still no update yet on when the session will restart. The clock continues to count down, and the Aston is still parked where it stopped on the corner exit - with Aston mechanics and fire officials in attendance.
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