McLaren’s Lando Norris continued his strong form at Zandvoort by topping Free Practice 2 at the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, edging Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso by just 0.087s in a session twice interrupted by red flags. Championship leader Oscar Piastri secured third, making it another strong showing for McLaren.

A chaotic start under cloudy skies

The session began under overcast conditions, with Norris immediately setting the tone on Medium tyres with a 1:12.615. Williams’ Carlos Sainz briefly went fastest on Hard tyres before Alonso responded with a 1:12.131. Norris, however, restored McLaren’s dominance with a 1:11.294, putting himself almost nine tenths clear before a flurry of quick laps reshuffled the order.

Haas rookie Ollie Bearman stunned the field with a 1:11.113, but his benchmark didn’t last long as incidents began to unfold.

Red flags and drama

The first stoppage came when Lance Stroll lost control exiting Turn 3 and heavily damaged his Aston Martin against the wall, bringing out the red flags. Following a lengthy delay, the session resumed, only for Isack Hadjar’s Racing Bulls to grind to a halt at Turn 8 with a loss of power.

Soon after, Nico Hülkenberg briefly topped the timesheets for Sauber with a 1:11.080 on Softs, but Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, running quicker, spun at Turn 9 and ruined his attempt.

Alonso vs. Norris showdown

As the track gripped up, Alonso pushed his Aston Martin to 1:09.977, looking set to end the day on top. But Norris responded immediately with a 1:09.890 on Softs, reclaiming P1 and sealing a Friday clean sweep after leading FP1.

Local hero Max Verstappen slotted into fifth for Red Bull, six-tenths down, while Piastri confirmed McLaren’s pace with P3, just 0.002s off Alonso.

Late crash for Albon

The session was interrupted again when Alex Albon lost control of his Williams at Turn 1, dislodging his front wing as he slid into the barriers. After a six-minute delay, the remaining minutes saw teams focus on longer runs with harder compounds, leaving the earlier soft-tyre laps untouched.

Final top 10 – Dutch GP FP2

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:09.890
2. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +0.087
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.089
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.384
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.588
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.848
7. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +0.905
8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.944
9. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +1.067
10. Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) – +1.190

McLaren in control, rivals chasing

With Norris fastest in both FP1 and FP2, McLaren appear well set for a strong weekend at Zandvoort. But with Alonso within striking distance and Verstappen eager to perform in front of his home fans, qualifying is shaping up to be a thriller.

The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix weekend continues with Final Practice and Qualifying on Saturday, where track evolution and unpredictable weather could mix up the order yet again.