George Russell will start Saturday’s Dutch Grand Prix Sprint from pole after producing a 1m11.567s lap in SQ3 at Zandvoort, beating Lando Norris by just 0.041s.
Charles Leclerc took third for Ferrari, only 0.055s away from Russell, while Oscar Piastri completed the second row for McLaren. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fifth, with home favourite Max Verstappen sixth for Red Bull.
Russell delivers when it matters in SQ3
After the changing conditions seen during FP1, the track was dry for Sprint Qualifying and the margins at the front were extremely tight. Russell saved his best lap for SQ3, improving to 1m11.567s and putting Mercedes on Sprint pole.
Norris was only 0.041s slower on a 1m11.608s, while Leclerc’s 1m11.622s left the leading three covered by just 0.055s. Piastri was close behind on 1m11.666s.
Dutch GP Sprint Qualifying top 10
- 1. George Russell — Mercedes — 1:11.567
- 2. Lando Norris — McLaren — 1:11.608
- 3. Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — 1:11.622
- 4. Oscar Piastri — McLaren — 1:11.666
- 5. Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — 1:11.794
- 6. Max Verstappen — Red Bull Racing — 1:12.094
- 7. Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — 1:12.191
- 8. Pierre Gasly — Alpine — 1:12.578
- 9. Gabriel Bortoleto — Audi — 1:12.583
- 10. Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls — 1:12.737
Antonelli recovers from SQ1 scare
Antonelli recovered from a difficult opening phase to qualify fifth. The Mercedes driver progressed with a 1m13.668s in SQ1, improved to 1m12.511s in SQ2 and then produced a 1m11.794s in the final session.
Earlier in the day Antonelli topped the sole practice session with a 1m12.949s. Our Dutch GP FP1 report covers the changing conditions and the setup challenge teams faced before Sprint Qualifying.
Verstappen starts sixth at home
Max Verstappen progressed comfortably into SQ3 but could only manage sixth on the final Sprint grid. His 1m12.094s lap left him 0.527s behind Russell’s pole time and places the Red Bull alongside Antonelli on the third row.
Lawson and Tsunoda eliminated in SQ2
Liam Lawson narrowly missed the top-10 shootout on his return to Red Bull Racing. He qualified 11th after setting a 1m13.136s lap in SQ2, just ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in 12th for Racing Bulls on 1m13.145s.
Lawson is deputising for the injured Isack Hadjar this weekend. Tech Torque Media covered the reshuffle in our Lawson Red Bull return story, while the original injury development is detailed in our Hadjar Dutch GP report.
Alonso suffers nightmare SQ1
Fernando Alonso endured the toughest result of Sprint Qualifying, finishing 22nd and last with a 1m16.014s in SQ1. He will therefore face a difficult recovery drive in Saturday’s Sprint.
Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez were the other drivers eliminated in SQ1, filling positions 17 through 21 respectively.
Full elimination picture
Behind Lawson and Tsunoda in SQ2 were Franco Colapinto in 13th, Nico Hülkenberg in 14th, Esteban Ocon in 15th and Alex Albon in 16th. That left Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Antonelli, Verstappen, Hamilton, Gasly, Bortoleto and Lindblad to contest SQ3.
Zandvoort Sprint sets up a tight fight
With Russell, Norris and Leclerc separated by only 0.055s, Saturday’s Sprint is set up for a close fight at the front. Piastri starts directly behind Norris, while Mercedes has both Russell and Antonelli inside the top five.
You can read the wider weekend context in our 2026 Dutch Grand Prix preview. The official Formula 1 Dutch GP Sprint Qualifying results page provides the session classification, while the FIA’s 2026 Formula One decision documents provide the official regulatory and classification documentation for race weekends.
Tech Torque Verdict
Russell produced the lap when it counted, but the tiny gaps behind him mean Mercedes cannot expect an easy Sprint. Norris, Leclerc and Piastri are all within a tenth, while Antonelli remains close enough to play a major role from fifth.
Verstappen faces more work from sixth in front of his home crowd, while Lawson’s return to Red Bull begins from 11th rather than the SQ3 appearance initially suggested. The official classification leaves the front of the Sprint finely poised.
