Antonelli leads Mercedes one-three in Zandvoort FP1

Andrea Kimi Antonelli put Mercedes on top in the Dutch Grand Prix’s only practice session at Zandvoort, setting a 1:12.949 to finish 0.121s clear of Lando Norris and 0.125s ahead of teammate George Russell.

On a Sprint weekend, the hour was the field’s only setup session before Sprint Qualifying, and it began on a wet track after morning rain in cool conditions. Drivers spent the opening phase on intermediates before the circuit dried enough for slicks, and the pace ramped up sharply in the final qualifying-style runs.

That late switch decided the order. Antonelli’s best lap came on soft tyres and made him the only driver to break into the 1:12s, with Norris second on 1:13.070 and Russell third on 1:13.074. Lewis Hamilton briefly held top spot with a 1:13.139 before ending the session fourth for Ferrari, while Charles Leclerc was fifth on 1:13.238 after also spending time at the top of the timesheets.

Mercedes and Ferrari had traded fastest laps through the changing conditions before Antonelli settled the session. Leclerc led with a 1:14.146 earlier on, then returned to the top with a 1:13.347, only for Hamilton to edge ahead. Norris then went fastest in the closing minutes before Antonelli delivered the decisive lap.

The drying surface also caught out several drivers. Antonelli himself spun after moving off line on corner exit but avoided any damage, later saying, "I don't know what happened there." Carlos Sainz had the messiest session, going into the gravel twice in the Williams and finishing last with a 1:16.345. Hamilton and Fernando Alonso also ran through the gravel without major consequence.

Max Verstappen showed some early pace as conditions improved, particularly while running harder tyres, but Red Bull did not turn that into a headline lap at the end. The home favorite finished only 11th on 1:14.325 after another off-track moment in the session, while Liam Lawson was 14th in the other Red Bull.

Oscar Piastri took sixth for McLaren, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, with Gabriel Bortoleto ninth and Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10. The bigger picture, though, was Mercedes leaving the only practice hour looking the most convincing team before Sprint Qualifying, with Antonelli fastest and Russell backing him up in third.