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Kimi Antonelli Leads Norris in Dutch GP Practice

Posted : 21 August 2026

Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli made a strong start to the Dutch Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in Friday's only practice session at Zandvoort. The 19-year-old Italian recorded a lap of 1:12.949 to finish 0.121 seconds ahead of reigning world champion Lando Norris.

George Russell completed a strong session for Mercedes in third, just 0.004 seconds behind Norris. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc followed in fourth and fifth respectively, with less than three-tenths of a second separating the top five.

The session began with damp patches around the circuit following morning rain, forcing some drivers to initially use intermediate tyres. Conditions improved and the track became suitable for slick tyres, although changing grip and windy conditions continued to make life difficult. Antonelli also had a spin during the session but recovered to set the benchmark time late on.

Antonelli heads into the second half of the season with a 50-point advantage over Hamilton in the drivers' championship. He has already won six of the first 11 races and will be looking to maintain Mercedes' strong start as rivals attempt to close the gap.

McLaren are among those expected to challenge Mercedes after introducing upgrades and securing a victory before the summer break. Norris arrives at Zandvoort with renewed confidence after winning the most recent race and will now look to turn his strong practice pace into a competitive result.

The Dutch Grand Prix is being run as a Sprint weekend, meaning Friday's practice session is followed by Sprint Qualifying later in the day and the 100km Sprint on Saturday. Zandvoort is also hosting its final scheduled Formula 1 race, adding extra significance to the weekend.

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