Russell edges Norris by 0.041s to snatch Dutch GP sprint pole at Zandvoort

George Russell seized sprint pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on Friday, edging reigning world champion Lando Norris by a razor-thin 0.041 seconds with a 1m11.567s lap in the final segment of sprint qualifying.

The result was something of a surprise given Russell had topped neither SQ1 nor SQ2 — those sessions were led by Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri respectively — but the Mercedes driver delivered when it counted most. It is his second sprint pole of the 2026 season, following an earlier effort in Shanghai.

The final session was exceptionally tight throughout. Leclerc ended up third for Ferrari, just 0.055s off Russell’s pace, while Piastri slotted into fourth, 0.099s adrift. Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s Mercedes team-mate, was fifth and 0.227s behind, with Verstappen a further three tenths back in sixth for Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult session in the second Ferrari, finishing seventh and 0.624s off the pace. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was eighth, with Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top ten — the pair separated from Russell by 1.016s and 1.170s respectively.

Liam Lawson, standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, qualified 11th after being eliminated by Lindblad. “I have no idea what happened,” the New Zealander said, noting he was four tenths shy of making SQ3. He will share the sixth row with Yuki Tsunoda, who is deputising at Racing Bulls.

Franco Colapinto lines up 13th alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 14th, while Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon were among those eliminated in SQ2. In SQ1, a late improvement from Oliver Bearman pushed him to 17th, nudging Carlos Sainz into the elimination zone.

Fernando Alonso endured a particularly troubled session, finishing last in 22nd after locking up at Turn 1. It was later confirmed that the straight-line mode on his rear wing had failed, compounding his difficulties despite receiving a tow from a Cadillac car.

The sprint race at Zandvoort is scheduled for Saturday.