In a session of constantly fluctuating conditions, home hero Max Verstappen ensured it was business as usual at the Circuit Zandvoort, despite a few brief moments of doubt. Lap times dropped by more than 10 seconds as drivers swapped Inters for Softs, with the Dutchman coming out on top and besting P2 by over half a second and teammate Pérez by 1.3 seconds.
The stage is set for an electrifying race day - a reported 59% chance of rain may shake things up a bit, so this will definitely be one to watch! Let’s go through Qualifying while we wait, shall we?
Q1
As the drivers were getting used to the damp track and trying to get some temperature into those Intermediate tyres, we saw a close call between Piastri and Sainz at Turn 2 - the Spaniard was exiting the Pit Lane as the McLaren closed in to pass, however Sainz’s claimed lack of visibility led to Oscar having to take somewhat evasive action, running two wheels onto the grass.