Kimi Antonelli set the pace in the only free-practice session of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint weekend as changing conditions made for a difficult opening hour at Zandvoort.
Morning rain left the circuit damp for the start of FP1, forcing drivers onto intermediate tyres before a crossover later in the session opened the door for slick running. With no second practice session before Sprint Qualifying, every lap carried extra weight.
The unusual format carries even more significance this year: Zandvoort is hosting its first Sprint weekend and, under the current calendar agreement, its final scheduled Formula 1 event for the foreseeable future. That puts extra focus on a weekend already compressed by the Sprint timetable.
Antonelli sets the benchmark as the track dries
Championship leader Antonelli was one of the drivers to make the most of the improving surface, switching to slick tyres and setting the fastest lap of FP1 in 1m12.949s.
Norris finished just 0.121s behind Antonelli, with Russell only 0.125s off the benchmark in third. Hamilton followed at +0.190s, Leclerc at +0.289s and Piastri at +0.659s, showing how tightly matched the leading runners were once the circuit dried.
The rapidly evolving track made the raw times difficult to compare directly, but Antonelli’s pace ensured Mercedes left the session with a positive first reference point before the competitive action begins later in the day.
Lawson’s Red Bull return begins in difficult conditions
Liam Lawson’s return to the senior Red Bull team also began in FP1. Lawson is deputising for Isack Hadjar, who has been sidelined by a wrist injury sustained during the summer break. You can read the original development in our Hadjar Dutch GP injury report.
Tech Torque Media covered Lawson’s return earlier today in our Lawson Red Bull return story, with the New Zealander insisting he has nothing to prove as he steps back into the senior seat alongside Max Verstappen.
The damp-to-dry session was hardly an ideal environment for a driver adapting to a different car at short notice, particularly with the Sprint format removing the usual second and third practice sessions.
There is another storyline on Verstappen’s side of the garage too. The home favourite has the opportunity to equal Jim Clark’s record of four Dutch Grand Prix victories during Zandvoort’s farewell weekend, adding another layer of attention around Red Bull. Reuters’ Dutch GP weekend preview outlines the significance of the occasion.
Tsunoda steps back into Racing Bulls
Yuki Tsunoda has taken Lawson’s place at Racing Bulls for the weekend, completing the reshuffle triggered by Hadjar’s absence.
That leaves both Red Bull-owned teams managing altered driver line-ups on a weekend where there is almost no time to settle into a rhythm before the first competitive session.
Upgrades increase the setup pressure
Despite the mandatory summer shutdown, a significant number of aerodynamic upgrades appeared across the grid at Zandvoort, with McLaren among the teams bringing new parts into the weekend.
That creates another layer of difficulty for teams. New parts normally need back-to-back running and stable conditions to evaluate properly, but the wet start, drying surface and single-practice format make clean comparisons much harder.
Zandvoort already demands careful compromise between aerodynamic load, stability and tyre performance. As we explored in our technical look at Zandvoort’s setup challenge, its banking, narrow layout and sensitivity to changing conditions can punish even small setup mistakes.
Our wider 2026 Dutch Grand Prix preview also sets out the major storylines heading into the weekend.
Antonelli starts the second half in control
Antonelli arrives in the Netherlands firmly in control of the Drivers’ Championship on 219 points, holding a 50-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton on 169. George Russell sits a further nine points behind Hamilton on 160.
That makes his FP1 pace another encouraging sign for Mercedes, although the unusual conditions mean the true competitive order is unlikely to become clear until Sprint Qualifying.
What FP1 tells us before Sprint Qualifying
The biggest takeaway from FP1 is how little certainty the teams will carry into the next session. Intermediate running dominated the early part of practice, slick tyres only became viable later, and the track continued to improve throughout the crossover.
Antonelli has the headline time, but setup choices, tyre preparation and how effectively teams interpreted the changing grip levels could matter more when Sprint Qualifying begins.
Tech Torque Verdict
FP1 delivered exactly the kind of uncertainty a Sprint weekend can create. Antonelli looked composed as the circuit dried and put Mercedes at the top of the timing picture, but the constantly improving track makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions from the order alone.
The more important story may be how quickly the teams can turn one compromised hour of running into a competitive setup. With Lawson adapting to Red Bull, multiple teams evaluating upgrades and no more practice available, Sprint Qualifying should provide the first genuine indication of the Zandvoort pecking order.
