Piastri falls frustratingly short of pole as teammate steals his thunder
Lando Norris secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix after a competitive qualifying session at Zandvoort. Despite Oscar Piastri leading early segments, Norris outperformed his teammate and rivals to take the top spot.
Why it matters
This result marks a significant shift in the McLaren team dynamic and impacts the ongoing Formula 1 championship standings.
Sport Motorsport Motorsport Piastri falls frustratingly short of pole as teammate steals his thunder AP and Nic Negrepontis August 22, 2026 - 9.23pm
shares Share article Lando Norris found unexpected pace to beat his rivals and the weather to take pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday after George Russell took a sprint race win on Formula 1’s return from its mid-season break.
As rain started to fall on the Zandvoort track, McLaren’s Norris made the most of his final run to reclaim pole by 0.102 of a second from Russell, whose Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli — the standings leader — was third.
Aussie Oscar Piastri spent much of Q1 and Q2 leading the pack, but ultimately fell short in the battle for pole, qualifying fourth.
Norris said he found himself somewhat surprised by his own performance.
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