#F1 #DutchGP #FP1: #Antonelli quickest ahead of @LandoNorris, @GeorgeRussell63.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, #12, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Tea, F1 W17, Free Practice 1, Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2026, Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands. Image credit to Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images. Antonelli Dutch GP FP1, 2026 Dutch GP FP1, Dutch GP FP1 Results, 2026 F1 Dutch GP FP1 Results.
Antonelli Dutch GP FP1 – Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli ended the sole practice session on top at the Dutch GP for Mercedes ahead of reigning world champion Lando Norris who placed second and George Russell who rounded the top three in the other Silver Arrow.
Antonelli on the C3 red-marked softer compounds set the session-topping benchmark of a 1:12.949 and was 0.121 seconds clear of Norris whilst Russell was a further 0.125 seconds off the Italian in third.
Leading into the weekend Isack Hadjar injured his wrist whilst away from racing and is unable to compete at the Dutch GP and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson was promoted into the seat whilst reserve Yuki Tsunoda has gone into the vacant VCARB seat.
Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg was the first to hit the damp Circuit Zandvoort on the green-branded intermediate compounds.
The German was the first to set the benchmark of a 1:26.555, which was beaten by Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton’s 1:25.562.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly slotted into third with a 1:26.628 as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri emerged on the C3 yellow-marked medium compounds.
The other Alpine of Franco Colapinto was up into second on a 1:25.843 whilst Piastri was next on the slicks, and the McLaren driver went up into top spot on a 1:23.311
Piastri improved at the top once more, setting a 1:20.480 at the eighth-minute mark of proceedings.
Russell put his Mercedes second with a 1:20.930 as team-mate Antonelli went even quicker going P1 on a 1:18.264.
Arvid Lindblad put his VCARB03 entry into fourth with a 1:22.042 but was pipped by team-mate for the weekend Tsunoda who went up into third posting a 1:21.448.
Russell on his next flyer went fastest with a 1:17.444 and was pipped by Antonelli’s 1:16.112 as Piastri slotted into second to be 0.923 seconds adrift of the championship leader.
Russell improved on his third timed-tour on a 1:16.669 as Hamilton went fourth overall setting a 1:17.709, which was then beaten by Tsunoda’s 1:17.322 effort (who was on the C2 harder rubber).
Russell once again improved posting a 1:16.564 whilst Leclerc jumped into third and 1.344 off Antonelli’s benchmark as the Mercedes driver posted a 1:15.351.
Leclerc gained three personal bests to move up into second place with a 1:15.766 as his team-mate Hamilton put his SF-26 entry third with a 1:15.886.
Norris then improved to second on a 1:15.539 as Russell jumped to second to be 0.094 seconds off his Mercedes team-mate Antonelli.
Red Bull’s Lawson on the harder compounds dropped to fourth with a 1:15.631 then was ousted by Piastri’s 1:15.618 as the Australian encountered traffic from the Aston Martin.
Leclerc improved again on a 1:15.477 as his Ferrari team-mate Hamilton shot to the head of the pile with a 1:15.124.
Russell went even quicker posting a 1:14.951 as Williams’ Sainz had a moment off the track briefly bringing out the yellow flags.
Four-time world champion Verstappen pushed his RB22 entry into fourth on a 1:15.381 as Leclerc went fastest posting a 1:14.925 with the best final sector and two personal bests.
Hamilton was next with two personal bests and went even quicker setting a 1:14.742 with Norris moving up into fourth with a purple sector one – the Hungarian GP winner last time out set a 1:14.958.
Russell then split the Ferrari’s taking second on a 1:14.908 to end up 0.166 adrift of Hamilton’s benchmark at the 22nd minute-mark of proceedings.
Verstappen improved to fourth on a 1:14.492 to be 0.200 off Hamilton’s best time with the best sector one effort and two personal bests.
Hamilton was next with a personal best sector one and two purples to reclaim P1 on a 1:14.259 to be 0.649 in-front of Russell who improved but remained in second with a 1:14.526.
Championship Antonelli then split Hamilton and Russell to go second, posting a 1:14.269 to be a slim 0.010 seconds off Hamilton.
Leclerc improved with three personal bests to take third overall setting a 1:14.506 as Red Bull’s Lawson with two personal best efforts placed his RB22 seventh with a 1:15.359.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto with two personal bests was up into seventh on a 1:15.097 as championship leader Antonelli suffered a spin at turn 10.
“I don’t know what the heck happened there,” the Italian said as Bono responded that they would look into it.
Leclerc with two personal bests and a purple final sector went quickest on a 1:14.146 as the sole practice session past the half-an-hour-mark.
Replays showed Sainz suffer a front-left lock-up into turn 11, the Spaniard continued on after running on the escape road to return back to the track.
Gasly with three personal best efforts put his Alpine ninth on 1:15.309 as Norris with a personal best opening sector moved up into fifth on a 1:14.724 to end up 0.578 seconds adrift of Leclerc’s best time with 24 minutes remaining.
The majority of the field were running mediums and harder tyres on their long race data gathering runs whilst the Williamd duo of Alexander Albon and Sainz were on the softer compounds.
Replays showed Hamilton suffer an excursion through the turns 11 and 12 gravel trap – the Briton got out and continued.
With less than a quarter of the session remaining the majority of the field were in the pits bar Leclerc, Antonelli, Russell, Bortoleto, Perez, Bottas, Colapinto and Sainz who remained on track.
Colapinto on his qualifying simulation run on the softs saw the Argentine jump to sixth with a 1:14.826 setting three personal bests.
Leclerc was the first of the front runners to emerged on the C3’s – the Monegasque driver ran wide at turn three and abandoned his hot-lap.
Piastri the defending Dutch GP winner from last year, went fastest posting a 1:13.608 with two personal bests as Lindblad slotted into seventh and 1.122 seconds off.
Verstappen with three personal bests took fifth on a 1:14.325 whilst Leclerc with two purple sectors went to the head of the time-sheets setting a 1:13.347.
Gasly put his Alpine third overall to be 0.564 off Leclerc in third.
Hamilton went even faster grabbing a slip-stream and with two purple sectors set a 1:13.139 to go 0.208 seconds ahead of Ferrari team-mate Leclerc.
Hulkenberg with three personal bests on the mediums moved up into fourth posting a 1:13.784 as his Audi team-mate Bortoleto was into sixth on a 1:13.992.
Norris with a purple sector one and two personal bests went on top with a 1:13.105 as Russell ended up fourth in the classification to be 0.361 seconds off his fellow-British-compatriot’s benchmark.
Antonelli had to abandon his hot-lap after making a mistake at turn three and due to Hulkenberg’s impediment.
The championship leader Antonelli with the best middle sector and two personal bests grabbed top spot on a 1:12.949 to be 0.156 seconds clear of Norris as Leclerc despite the best sector three time remained in fourth on a 1:13.238.
Norris was next and the Briton improved slightly to end up 0.121 seconds off Antonelli to remain in second whilst Russell jumped to third on a 1:13.074 as the session ended.
Hamilton was the lead Ferrari in fourth in-front of Leclerc who took fifth whilst Piastri ended FP1 sixth for McLaren.
Audi’s Hulkenberg and Bortoleto were seventh and ninth respectively as Gasly split the duo in eighth.
Racing Bull’s Lindblad completed the top ten.
You can see the full Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2026 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX 2026 – PRACTICE 1
#F1 @Heineken #DutchGP 2026 Preview. #Formula1 #DutchGrandPrix
