Photo: McLaren
Oscar Piastri beats teammate Lando Norris to Dutch GP pole position
Oscar Piastri delivered exactly when it mattered and snatched pole position from his teammate Lando Norris, who had looked dominant after topping all three practice sessions.
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Q1
Qualifying began under blue skies and sunshine, with Yuki Tsunoda leading the pack out on track. Lewis Hamilton briefly went fastest before Lance Stroll lost control at Turn 13, putting a wheel on the grass and spinning into the barrier. He damaged the front wing of his Aston Martin and could not take further part.
As the session resumed, Max Verstappen had to drive through the gravel dragged onto the track by Stroll’s car but still managed to go top. However, the McLarens soon took control. Norris and Piastri swapped fastest times, with Piastri finishing Q1 just ahead of his teammate and George Russell close behind in third. Ferrari had a scare as both Hamilton and Leclerc were hovering near the drop zone, but late laps lifted them into ninth and tenth.
Eliminated in Q1: Franco Colapinto, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, Lance Stroll.
Here’s what happened to Lance Stroll 🎥#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/rd1VCvbYX5
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 30, 2025
Q2
At the start of Q2, Charles Leclerc, who was the first one out of the pits, reported a fox at Turn 10 before settling into his run on used softs, setting a 1:10.0. Verstappen then blasted to the top by almost a full second, but his lead didn’t last long. Norris responded with a stunning 1:08.874, setting a new lap record, while Piastri slotted into second just 0.09s behind.
Verstappen then complained about Norris being too close to the racing line during one of his laps. On fresh softs, Hamilton improved to fourth and Leclerc to fifth, both securing safe passage to Q3. Late flyers from Alonso and Liam Lawson knocked out Kimi Antonelli and Tsunoda, ending their hopes of reaching the final shootout.
Eliminated in Q2: Kimi Antonelli, Yuki Tsunoda, Gabriel Bortoleto, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon.
Fox on track! 🦊 #F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/UWwF5y2TJd
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 30, 2025
Q3
The fight for pole quickly became a straight battle between the McLaren teammates. Piastri struck first with 1:08.662, another new lap record, with Norris crossing the line just 0.012s slower. Verstappen was third early on, followed by Russell, Hamilton, and Leclerc.
For the final runs, Norris went out first and set purple in the second sector, but he couldn’t improve overall. Piastri kept his advantage with a cleaner lap to claim a brilliant pole position, denying Norris despite the Brit’s dominance through practice. Verstappen closed the gap but stayed third, while rookie Isack Hadjar surprised with a superb fourth place ahead of Russell and Leclerc.
Final top ten: Piastri on pole ahead of Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, Lawson, Sainz, and Alonso.
OSCAR PIASTRI TAKES POLE AT ZANDVOORT!!! 🤩#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/ONYDhLlXlZ
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 30, 2025
