Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Dutch GP

2026 Formula 1 Dutch GP

Netherlands
Aug 20, 2026 to Aug 23, 2026
Zandvoort, NL

F1 Dutch GP live commentary and updates - sprint qualifying

Live Standings

Summary

Live Text

Eliminated in SQ1

17. Bearman
18. Sainz
19. Stroll
20. Bottas
21. Perez
22. Alonso

Alonso doesn't improve, as Bearman does - but not enough to get out of the drop zone! Sainz can't do it either, and Albon outqualifies the Williams.

Bottas does a better lap but stays 20th, and Perez will be the last of them to cross the line...and he overlaps Alonso to get 21st. 

Stroll stays 18th on his latest effort, and I don't think he'll be able to go again. Alonso gets a tow off a Cadillac, but it's only P21. 

Hulkenberg now throws down another time and goes 12th, as Tsunoda hits 13th.

Ocon gets out of the bottom six and goes 14th. 

Lawson is up to sixth, that's a good lap to split the Mercedes pair.

Alonso has had a lock-up at Turn 1, so he needs to get a lap in now. Stroll's trying to get out of the drop zone too, as Sainz sits on the cusp. 

Lots happening, and the drivers will run continuously until the end.

Stroll, Bearman, Bottas, Perez, Antonelli, and Alonso are in the drop zone - until Antonelli goes seventh fastest to put Ocon in the bottom six. 

Bortoleto there with a great lap, moves up to fifth to shuffle ahead of Russell, as Leclerc now goes quickest with a 1m13.013s!

Norris now vaults to the top, it's a 1m13.071s to shuffle past Hamilton. Lindblad goes up to fifth, ahead of sixth-placed Lawson. Sainz moves above the Haas duo.

Tsunoda then goes seventh, 1.5s off the pace, before Albon moves ahead of the Racing Bulls driver. 

Verstappen moves up to fifth, 0.8s off the pace, but this becomes sixth when Piastri sets the second best time so far.

It's the turn of the Ferraris. Hamilton sets the best first sector, but it's a big middle part of the lap for Leclerc. But Hamilton's about 0.3s quicker through that part of the track!

Leclerc posts a 1m13.229s, and it's a 1m13.151s for Hamilton - who goes fastest. Both well clear of Russell at this stage.

The traffic gets out of the way for Antonelli here, who goes quicker than Russell in that opening sector. 

He gets the braking zone for Turn 11 right, another downshift through 12, but he slides off at Turn 13 and slips into the gravel! He keeps it facing the right way, but the lap is done.

Russell sets a 1m13.829s to go quickest, then. 

Antonelli is doing a second prep lap, as he's first to cross the line. Russell doing the same here. You need to get the tyre temperature into these mediums, so it's not too surprising to see them go twice.

Antonelli and Russell will open first. 

SQ1 is open for business!

It's time: 22 drivers, and six will play no further part after this. Who can get these medium tyres to work?

SQ1: Who's at risk?

Unsurprisingly, the Williams and Cadillac duo might be most at risk of a drop in the opening part of qualifying, and you're looking at potentially an Aston Martin, the Haases, an upgrade-less Colapinto, and maybe Tsunoda on the cusp. 

But let's see - traffic could play a role. 

Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls

Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls

Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Lawson and Tsunoda watch

Liam Lawson's back in a Red Bull, covering for the injured Isack Hadjar, but FP1 was tough as his fastest lap was undone by traffic and a Turn 11 slide. He was 14th, and about half a second off Max Verstappen - himself only 11th.

Tsunoda, back in F1 to take Lawson's seat, was 17th and 0.8s down on Arvid Lindblad - both will be gunning to break into SQ2. 

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

FP1 recap

Kimi Antonelli might have been quickest in FP1, but it was very close-run between him, Lando Norris, George Russell, and the two Ferraris.

Here's how it went down this morning.

F1 Dutch GP: Antonelli pips Norris in practice amid poor showing for Red Bull

Sprint qualifying - coming up!

Hello again! We're back, and raring to go for sprint qualifying. 30 minutes to go until our quick-fire runs around the Zandvoort circuit.

Let's get started, shall we?

Alexander Albon, Williams

Alexander Albon, Williams

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

By: Jake Boxall-Legge

Published: