Antonelli leads Mercedes one-two in sole Dutch GP practice as Red Bull falters

Kimi Antonelli topped the only practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix sprint weekend at Zandvoort on Friday, setting a 1m12.949s to lead a Mercedes one-two ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris as Red Bull struggled to make an impression on the timing sheets.

The session — the last F1 will hold at the Dutch seaside circuit — began on a damp track, with most drivers initially opting for intermediate tyres. Nico Hülkenberg was among the first to call for slicks, and Oscar Piastri switched to mediums within five minutes, triggering a rapid evolution of lap times as the surface dried.

Antonelli moved to the front early on mediums, posting a 1m18.264s, then a 1m16.112s and a 1m15.531s on consecutive laps. Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Charles Leclerc each briefly led the timings during the middle phase, while Antonelli also had a 360-degree spin at Turn 10. “I don’t know what the heck happened there,” the Mercedes driver reported over the radio.

The session’s decisive moments came when soft-tyre runs began with ten minutes remaining. Piastri broke Leclerc’s medium benchmark with a 1m13.608s, only for Leclerc to reclaim top spot, then Hamilton to go 0.208s quicker with a 1m13.139s. Norris then went fastest with a 1m13.105s before Antonelli’s final effort of 1m12.949s put him 0.156s clear.

Russell’s late 1m13.074s elevated him to third, 0.065s ahead of Hamilton in fourth. Leclerc completed the top five, 0.289s off the pace, while Piastri was sixth — 0.659s behind Antonelli — after failing to improve on his soft-tyre run.

The top three constructors — Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren — filled all six leading positions, underlining Red Bull’s difficult afternoon. Antonelli heads into qualifying holding a 50-point championship advantage over Hamilton, with Russell a further nine points back in third.