Lando Norris leads FP1 timings at Dutch Grand Prix as McLaren championship battle heats up

Follow us on Google Discover

The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix weekend is underway, with Formula 1 heading to the Netherlands after a month-long summer break.

All eyes are on McLaren as speculation grows around whether Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri will claim the drivers’ championship title at the end of the year. A gap of just nine points sees the Aussie lead his British teammate in this year’s championship, with the battle expected to go down to the wire.

Pressure is growing on Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto to perform in the final ten races of the year, as both Red Bull and Alpine look at who will be in those second seats in 2026.

Red Bull are running a new front wing for the Dutch Grand Prix in an attempt to increase the load available and meet the demands of the twisting Zandvoort circuit. Alpine have opted for upgrades on their rear brake to improve wheel wake management, with Sauber opting for a similar upgrade on their rear brake duct design.

The weather at this year’s Dutch Grand Prix looks unsettled and could potentially cause some unexpected shake-ups amongst the grid.

Strong winds cause issues for a number of drivers

Lewis Hamilton took a spin early in the session, losing grip into Turn 2, causing a brief yellow flag. The Brit was able to catch the car as it spun and continue on with his lap.

A second yellow flag appeared 11 minutes into FP1 as both Kimi Antonelli and Tsunoda went off track. Antonelli found himself stuck in the gravel at Turn 8, which brought out the first red flag after the summer break, as marshals needed to retrieve the car.

Tsunoda lost the rear of the car at Turn 11 after hitting the curb, resulting in a brief stint in the gravel.

Carlos Sainz also struggled for grip with his Williams early in the session, taking a trip through the gravel in sector 2.

Max Verstappen caused shock at the end of the session, finding himself beached in the gravel at Turn 1 after his practice start. An uncharacteristic error saw him unable to remove his car from the gravel trap. Red Bull will now be working tirelessly to get the car ready for FP2 later in the afternoon.

Ferrari off to a disappointing start with both drivers sharing radio frustrations

Charles Leclerc vented his frustrations with the Ferrari during the session, telling his race engineer that the team was “miles off” the front runners of McLaren. The team are currently running in second in the constructors’ championship but both drivers appeared unhappy on the radio during FP1.

With all the cars on track running on soft tyres with 15 minutes remaining on the clock, Leclerc shared his disappointment at running in 14th, with Hamilton sat behind him in 15th. The pair were left unable to set faster times.

Ferrari look off pace compared to the other top teams, with both drivers hoping things can improve during this afternoon’s FP2.

Full timings from the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix Free Practice 1

Unsurprisingly, the McLarens have topped the Dutch Grand Prix FP1 timing sheet, with Norris leading his teammate by 0.292 seconds.

The biggest surprise of the session came from Aston Martin, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso running in P3 and P4, respectively. The Silverstone-based team have appeared to make a performance turnaround over the last couple of races, with Alonso finishing fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix.