By Alan Baldwin
ZANDVOORT, Netherlands, Aug 22 (Reuters) – Formula One champion Lando Norris beat Mercedes title contenders George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to earn McLaren a third successive Dutch Grand Prix pole position on Saturday.
The pole, with drivers scrambling to get their laps in before forecast rain at the seaside Zandvoort circuit, was also a second in a row for Norris after Hungary before the August break.
Norris now has a great chance to win on Sunday, given that the driver on pole position has always won the Dutch round ever since it returned to the calendar in 2021 following a 34-year absence.
The Briton said Mercedes-powered McLaren had made setup changes after he finished third in the sprint won by Russell.
“We had to try something because what we had before wasn’t going to be enough,” he said.
“So we made some small changes, nothing that wasn’t going to make us gain two tenths or one tenth even, but enough to maybe give me a bit more confidence.”
Norris had set the provisional best time of one minute 11.344 seconds and put pole out of reach with a 1:11.163.
Russell ended up 0.102 slower and Antonelli, the championship leader, 0.133 off the pace.
“I thought we had it in there to fight for pole, but I’m pretty satisfied with P2, especially going back after such a tough last few races before the break, sort of get in my groove again and try to fight with them tomorrow,” Russell said.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, last year’s race winner from pole after Norris triumphed in 2024, was fourth fastest and 0.142 slower than his teammate in a tight battle for top slot.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli’s closest rival in the standings but 53 points behind after the sprint race, qualified fifth for Ferrari with teammate Charles Leclerc, second in the sprint, sixth.
Home hero Max Verstappen, a three-times winner at Zandvoort in front of his Orange Army of fans, qualified seventh for Red Bull with stand-in teammate Liam Lawson, moving up from Racing Bulls to replace the injured Isack Hadjar, set to line up in eighth place.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto qualified ninth with rookie Arvid Lindblad 10th for Racing Bulls.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Joe Bavier and Ed Osmond)
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