Zandvoort, Netherlands, August 22, 2026: Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, beating Mercedes driver George Russell by 0.102 seconds in a tense qualifying session at Zandvoort.

With rain threatening the seaside circuit during Q3, Norris produced his best lap when it mattered most, stopping the clocks at 1:11.163 to claim pole. Russell, who had won the Sprint earlier in the weekend, improved to a 1:11.265 on his final attempt but could not match the McLaren driver.

Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli qualified third, completing a strong showing for the Silver Arrows, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured fourth.

The top four were separated by just 0.142 seconds, setting up another closely fought battle between McLaren and Mercedes for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Norris Delivers Under Pressure as Rain Threatens

Qualifying began in dry conditions, allowing the drivers to attack the Zandvoort circuit without interruption. McLaren immediately showed strong pace, with Piastri topping Q1 before Norris moved to the front in Q2.

The reigning world champion then established himself as the driver to beat early in Q3, posting a 1:11.344 to take provisional pole. Norris was 0.151 seconds ahead of Russell at that stage, with Piastri another two tenths behind.

However, the approaching rain meant the drivers could not afford to wait until the final moments without making their preparations. As conditions threatened to deteriorate, the leading contenders headed back onto the circuit for their decisive attempts.

Norris and Russell emerged from the pit lane together and ran closely during their preparation laps before creating sufficient space for their final flying runs.

Norris crossed the line first and improved his provisional benchmark by almost two tenths, setting a 1:11.163. Russell followed shortly afterwards and also found time, but his 1:11.265 left him 0.102 seconds short of pole.

Antonelli had briefly moved to the top during the closing stages before being displaced by his Mercedes team-mate.

Ferrari Takes Third Row

Oscar Piastri qualified fourth with a 1:11.305, just 0.142 seconds behind Norris and completing a strong qualifying performance for McLaren.

Ferrari locked out the third row, with Lewis Hamilton fifth in 1:11.494 and Charles Leclerc sixth after posting a 1:11.558.

Home favourite Max Verstappen qualified seventh for Red Bull, 0.455 seconds away from Norris’s pole time.

Verstappen will share the fourth row with temporary Red Bull team-mate Liam Lawson, who is continuing to deputise for the injured Isack Hadjar. Lawson qualified eighth with a 1:11.733.

Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto took ninth, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10. Lindblad’s latest Q3 appearance marked his fifth consecutive event reaching the final qualifying segment.

Gasly Misses Q3 as Tsunoda Qualifies 12th

Pierre Gasly narrowly missed out on Q3 and will start the Dutch Grand Prix from 11th for Alpine.

Returning Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda qualified 12th, just 0.011 seconds behind Gasly.

Nico Hülkenberg improved late in the session to take 13th for Audi, ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Haas driver Esteban Ocon.

Williams’ Alexander Albon was eliminated in Q2 and will start 16th. His team-mate Carlos Sainz suffered an even earlier exit, missing out on Q2 by just 0.022 seconds and qualifying 17th.

Aston Martin and Cadillac Struggle

Fernando Alonso qualified 18th for Aston Martin, ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll in 19th.

Haas driver Oliver Bearman was 20th, while Cadillac occupied the final row of the grid.

Valtteri Bottas qualified 21st, with Sergio Pérez 22nd. The Cadillac pair were more than three seconds away from Norris’s pole time, with Pérez ending the session 3.437 seconds off the benchmark.

2026 Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying Results

Norris Leads McLaren into Dutch GP

Norris will start the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix from pole position, with Russell alongside him on the front row. Antonelli and Piastri will occupy the second row, ensuring both McLaren and Mercedes have two cars at the sharp end of the grid.

With only 0.142 seconds separating the top four in qualifying and unpredictable weather threatening the Zandvoort race weekend, the battle for victory is finely poised.

For Norris, the pole represents a particularly important opportunity to con