F1 Qualifying Results: Dutch Grand Prix

The Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix weekend has already seen quite a few red flags and a driver swap, but in Qualifying conditions looked better as Max Verstappen took pole position at his home circuit ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell. 

The summer break is over and the second half of the 2023 season is now underway with Qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix complete. Ahead of Qualifying, the free practice sessions saw a mixture of conditions with a dry FP1 but a wet FP3. In FP2, Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo both crashed, which resulted in Liam Lawson stepping into the AlphaTauri seat for the weekend after Ricciardo suffered an injury.

Max Verstappen topped FP1 and FP3 but it was Lando Norris who was fastest in FP2. A lot of teams brought upgrades for the weekend as well, including Williams whose drivers were looking to have a strong pace so far.

But which driver took pole position in Qualifying?

Q1

Whilst the rain had eased since the cancelled Formula 2 Sprint Race, the track was still wet. However, the Zandvoort circuit is one that dries quicker than others.

For the first part of Qualifying, the drivers used the intermediate tyres. Both the Williams drivers were the first two out on track with Logan Sargeant following behind his teammate.

Alex Albon set a benchmark time of 1:31.315, which was soon beaten by Sargeant, who is the only driver not to have reached Q3 this season. With more and more drivers completing laps, the lap times got quicker.

Both Nico Hulkenberg and Verstappen had a moment. The two drivers ended up going over a gravel patch but managed to keep going. The Dutchman then came over the radio asking what was going on with the car. He said he had “no grip” and was sliding everywhere.

Conditions are very tricky 😮

Even Max Verstappen is struggling, running over the gravel at Turn 1 #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/5z0UXRQzXA

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023

Norris proved the McLaren had pace going P1 with 12 minutes left of the session. Sergio Perez tried to beat the young Brit but only managed P2 before being bumped down by Piastri. At this time, Verstappen was the only driver who had yet to set a time.

Ferrari have struggled all weekend and Q1 was no different. Charles Leclerc went off the track to avoid the gravel for the third time today. With 10 minutes to go, it was Norris in P1, Verstappen in P2 and Fernando Alonso in P3.

Piastri, an F1 rookie, soon beat his teammate setting a time of 1:22.059. The last time Piastri drove around Zandvoort was back in 2020, but the young rookie was clearly demonstrating his talent this weekend.

Rain expected with the final five minutes

Verstappen went quickest by nearly three-hundredths of a second, ending McLaren’s battle for P1.

A replay showed that Hamilton was blocked by Stroll whilst Piastri and Sainz, who was coming out of the pits, had a near miss. Over the radio, Sainz said he couldn’t see a thing.

As the clock counted down, rain appeared in the paddock and the grandstands. With three minutes left, it was Albon in P1 whilst those in danger were Esteban Ocon, both Haas drivers, Hamilton and Lawson. For Hamilton, it seemed Mercedes’ hand was forced as the seven-time world champion, and Russell, had both stuck with their first set of inters.

Ocon managed to get out of the bottom five, which was soon followed by Hamilton. The Brit put his W14 in P11. Whilst these two managed to get out of the bottom five, Leclerc was pushed into 18th.

Zhou managed to set a lap time after being 16th and managed to get into 15th, pushing Ocon out. Leclerc’s lap was difficult or the Monegasque but he was only just able to get out of the bottom five into 14th.

Out in Q1:

16 – Zhou

17 – Ocon

18 – Magnussen

19 – Bottas

20 – Lawson

Q2

🟢 Q2 GREEN LIGHT 🟢

Away we go again with 15 drivers now in play #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/gRLkYUWlCw

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023

Both Red Bulls were out first for the second Qualifying session at Zandvoort. Verstappen’s first lap of Q2 saw the Dutchman complete purple sectors setting a 1:21.921. Perez’s time put him in fourth with Russell and Sargeant ahead, rounding out the top three.

Pierre Gasly had a moment where he had all four wheels off the track at Turn 3. However, it was a slow lap, not a qualifying lap.

With eight minutes to go, the question was whether or not drivers should change onto the slick tyres. But Karun Chandhok of Sky Sports admitted that the track wasn’t drying as quickly as he would have thought.

With six and a half minutes to go, it was Verstappen in P1 whilst his teammate, Perez, was in the bottom five and entered the pits. Sainz then came over the radio and said he believes new intermediates are the right tyre for the final laps of Q2. So the crossover was coming, but not quite yet.

Final few minutes

With the clock ticking down, Albon kept improving, setting some purple sectors. On the intermediates, Albon managed to complete a lap that put his Williams on top with a time of 1.19.399.

Verstappen came into the pits and was on a new set of intermediate tyres whilst Stroll had a lap time deleted.

The five drivers at risk were both Ferraris, Stroll, Gasly and Hulkenberg. Stroll managed to get out of the bottom five and put his car in seventh, bumping Hamilton out. However, the Brit managed to go eighth fastest.

Leclerc completed a lap going third fastest but was it too early?

As the clock counted down, Piastri finished the session in P1 ahead of Albon, but Verstappen soon took the top spot. Gasly, Sainz and Norris all got out of the bottom five whilst Hamilton aborted his final lap.

Sargeant achieved getting into Q3 for the first time this season, bumping Gasly back into the final five.

Get in there, Logan 💪

Sargeant makes Q3 for the first time this year! 👏#DutchGP @WilliamsRacing pic.twitter.com/DTiPvrymEr

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023

Out of Q2:

11 – Stroll

12 – Gasly

13 – Hamilton

14 – Tsunoda

15 – Hulkenberg

Q3

Just before the final session began, race control noted an impeding incident between Tsunoda and Hamilton.

Russell, Albon, Sainz and Sargeant were the first drivers to come out onto the track on soft tyres. Piastri, Leclerc and Perez were out on intermediates, but it wasn’t long before Piastri came over the radio asking for slicks.

Drivers began setting lap times and it was Albon who went P1, setting three purple sectors. His teammate, Sargeant followed suit, going P2.

However, Sargeant then brought out the red flag as he was off into the gravel and his the wall at Turn 2. The session was then suspended. At this time, the top four only had a time set, who were: Albon, Sargeant, Sainz and Russell.

🔴 RED FLAG 🔴

Oh no, Logan!

Sargeant's first Q3 didn't last long as he hits the barriers at Turn 2#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/sEqrfoH1KB

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023

Q3 Restart

After Sargeant’s car was removed and the barrier was fixed, the green light was given for Q3 to resume.

All drivers were out on the soft-compound tyres. Sainz was the first to start a flying lap, but the Spaniard aborted his lap. Albon was next, but came into the pits before being able to complete a fast lap.

Russell’s lap time meant he went fastest but he was soon beaten by his fellow countryman, Norris. Piastri then made it a McLaren 1-2 whilst Verstappen only managed to go third fastest.

Yellow flags were then brought out as Leclerc stopped on the side of the track. Coming out of Turn 9, Leclerc’s qualifying session came to an end after the Ferrari driver crashed into the barriers after understeering onto the grass. The red flags were then brought out for a second time in Q3. Leclerc was fifth at the time of his crash with four minutes of the session to go.

Second restart

The session was the restarted with just under four minutes left to go. Perez (sixth), Albon (seventh) and Alonso (ninth) were the first drivers out on track.

Verstappen’s lap saw him set a purple sector two and three and completed a 1:10.567. This put the Dutchman on provisional pole as Norris went P2. Perez finished the session in P3 ahead of Piastri, but Alonso bumped the two down.

However, Albon soon beat the Spaniard but went P4 after Russell finished the session in P3.

Final Order:

1 – Verstappen

2 – Norris

3 – Russell

4 – Albon

5 – Alonso

6 – Sainz

7 – Perez

8 – Piastri

9 – Leclerc

10 – Sargeant

Headline Image: Gettyimages