What happened in only Dutch GP F1 2026 practice session - The Race
Kimi Antonelli topped the sole practice session for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. He led a competitive field ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen struggled with car handling.
Why it matters
This session provides the only track data for teams ahead of the race, highlighting the performance of young drivers and the current competitive balance of the 2026 F1 season.
Formula 1 What happened in only Dutch GP F1 2026 practice session Josh Suttill 21 Aug 2026 — 2 min read Kimi Antonelli kicked off the second half of Formula 1’s 2026 season on top, beating Lando Norris’s McLaren to the top spot in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Championship leader Antonelli delivered a 1m12.949s lap in the dying moments of the sole practice session at Zandvoort, his second flying lap on those soft tyres after he was baulked by traffic on his first.
Antonelli also had a harmless spin earlier in the session on the exit of Turn 10 before resuming.
Norris also improved on his second flying lap to end up 0.121s adrift of Antonelli, with George Russell third, 0.125s off his team-mate Antonelli.
The Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were fourth and fifth quickest but within three tenths of the pace.
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