P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It’s advantage Oscar Piastri after qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort!
Oscar Piastri narrowly secured pole position ahead of his team-mate Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix after a tight qualifying session. Despite Norris dominating the weekend and leading all practice sessions, Piastri managed to clinch pole by a mere 0.012s. Both drivers set impressive lap times in Q2, with Piastri ultimately setting a new track record in Q3 and taking his first pole position since Spain. The pole-sitter has won all four races at Zandvoort since its return to the F1 calendar in 2021. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen finished third, Isack Hadjar surprised with a fourth-place for Racing Bulls, and Lewis Hamilton settled for seventh for Ferrari.
In the decisive moments of qualifying, Piastri outperformed Norris, despite the latter initially showing strong pace in Sector 1. Piastri’s final lap time of 1:08.662 broke the track record set by Norris in Q2. Verstappen was the only other driver to dip below the 69-second mark with a time of 1:08.925. Further down the grid, Tsunoda faced disappointment by failing to make it to Q3, while Norris set a provisional track record in Q2. Overall, Piastri’s impressive performance at Zandvoort marked a significant moment in the championship battle, where he currently leads by nine points.
Although Norris set the pace throughout the weekend, Piastri’s last-minute heroics in qualifying turned the tables and saw him secure a crucial pole position ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix. The tight margins and intense competition at Zandvoort highlighted the intense rivalry between the two teammates and set the stage for an exciting race day.
