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Formula 1 Dutch GP

F1 Dutch GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying

Updates from the Saturday practice and qualifying sessions at Zandvoort for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18

George Russell led a Mercedes 1-2 FP1 on Friday as home favourite Max Verstappen suffered a reliability issue, while Carlos Sainz finished third.

Charles Leclerc topped FP2 from team-mate Sainz ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen down in eighth.

Verstappen won the last race, at Spa-Francorchamps, 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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It's P8 for Alonso, splitting the Ferrari pair and pushing Gasly out of the top 10. Albon is the man currently on the bubble.
Alonso is winding up for an attack now - what can he produce on his first timed run of the session?
Albon for now is ninth and Gasly tenth, with those on the outside looking in currently:
11. Ocon
12. Zhou
13. Tsunoda
14. Schumacher
15. Alonso (no time)
I want to know what Lance Stroll had for breakfast today. He's just gone fourth in the Aston Martin, slotting in ahead of Russell. Cracking effort from the Canadian.
Neither of the Ferraris are able to mix it with the Red Bulls and Mercedes. Sainz is sixth, behind Norris, with FP2 and FP3 pacesetter Leclerc only P7 for now.
Hamilton's first effort puts him second on a 1m11.075, 0.148s down on Verstappen. Russell is slower than Perez and goes fourth for the time being.
It's a 1m10.927s for Verstappen, Perez 0.387s slower in second for now.
The crowds rise as one for Verstappen as he blasts out of Turn 12 to start his flying lap. What can the home hero produce?
Once again Albon is the first man out, joined now by the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Perez - to the cheers of the crowd.
Lights green
And we're back underway for Q2 after that false start.
The session will resume at 15:32 local time.
It landed on the track on the approach to Turn 13. Albon was the only man to venture out before the debris and comes back to the pits, reporting that there are lots of pesky pigeons around.
Red flag
And now we have a red flag due to a flare on the track.
Lights green
We're underway for Q2, with Albon the first man out of the pits.
Zhou only just made the cut for Q2 in 15th. Another to breathe a sigh of relief is Sainz, who was only 14th, behind Gasly, Schumacher and Ocon.
Verstappen ended the session top with his early 1m11.317s holding to the end. Hamilton took second ahead of surprise package Tsunoda, Leclerc, Norris, Russell and Stroll in an encouraging seventh for Aston Martin. Perez, Alonso and Albon completed the top 10.
Joining the four-time world champion in the drop zone are two-time Zandvoort F3 Masters winner Bottas, Magnussen, Ricciardo and Latifi. Five drivers from as many teams, their respective team-mates Zhou, Schumacher, Norris, Stroll and Albon all making the cut.
That's it for Q1. Vettel is eliminated in P19 after the back end steps out on his Aston Martin at Turn 13.
Checkered flag
The chequered flag is out, but drivers on hot laps can complete them.
Norris is safe too, he moves up to fourth spot, just behind Leclerc and ahead of Russell.
Where did that come from? Tsunoda moves into second place behind Verstappen!
That's a decent improvement from Magnussen, who moves up to P12. But the times are tumbling all the time, and Bottas also gets himself out of trouble to move ahead of the Haas.
Norris's earlier unsafe release will be investigated after the session, the FIA report.
It's P7 for Albon, who posts an impressive 1m11.695s to dump Magnussen provisionally into the bottom five. Can the Dane respond and give Bottas ahead of him something to worry about?
Albon is looking the most likely at the moment to get himself out of danger. He's on course to improve, but by how much?
The quintet in danger of Q1 elimination with just over four minutes to go are: 
16. Vettel
17. Ricciardo
18. Albon
19. Schumacher
20. Latifi
But Leclerc swiftly puts that right and fires himself into second on a 1m11.443s, 0.126s behind Verstappen.
That flurry of times has pushed Leclerc back to 12th, ahead of Bottas and Magnussen - that trio only just above the drop zone as it stands.
Alonso now goes fourth, behind Verstappen-Russell-Hamilton, and it's a jumbled order behind him with Sainz in fifth followed by Tsunoda, Zhou, Stroll, Gasly and Ocon.
Drivers appear to be finding time on their second runs. Magnussen had just gone quicker than Perez, and his time is now beaten by Bottas.
Russell now goes second, 0.244s behind Verstappen, Hamilton just fractionally behind in third. Sainz is fourth and Norris fifth - but the McLaren driver is being investigated for being released into Tsunoda's path exiting his garage.
Neither of the Ferraris are able to beat that time, with Sainz 0.450s behind in second and Leclerc 0.808s down. Perez, fourth, is over a second slower than his team-mate's ultra-committed opening gambit.
Ricciardo briefly went quickest on a 1m12.490s, but that time is obliterated by his old team-mate. To the applause of the crowd, Verstappen storms to the top on a 1m11.317s.
Aston Martin look to be on form here. Stroll goes fastest for the time being, slotting in with a 1m12.505s, with Vettel second-quickest.
Tsunoda has had his time deleted for track limits. Not a great start to the session for the Japanese sophomore.
The Ferraris and Red Bulls now venture onto the track. Mercedes and Alpine are keeping their powder dry for the time being, Norris also remaining in the garage.
The AlphaTauris split the Williams drivers, with Tsunoda going quicker than Gasly but only into P6 - behind Albon.

By: autosport.com

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