Zandvoort Showdown: Verstappen Chases Redemption at Home amid Fierce McLaren and Mercedes Challenge

2024 F1 Dutch Grand Prix – Recap of Friday's Practice Sessions

Catch up on every moment from the Friday practice sessions at the Zandvoort circuit as Formula 1 resumes after its summer hiatus.

Max Verstappen is back on his home turf for the F1 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

The driver from Red Bull has notably not won in the last four Grand Prix races.

To maintain his lead over McLaren's Lando Norris, Verstappen aims to bounce back in the Netherlands, on a track where he has remained undefeated since it rejoined the F1 schedule in 2021.

This concludes our report on Friday's practice session.

The day turned out to be engaging, as McLaren and Mercedes alternated in leading the speeds during both FP1 and FP2 sessions.

Max Verstappen, who has not lost a race at Zandvoort since it was reintroduced to the F1 schedule in 2021, finished the day almost three-tenths behind the leading speed.

Tune in at 10 a.m. tomorrow for our live updates and comprehensive build-up to the final practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Here's our coverage from the second training session at Zandvoort.

The complete outcomes of the two practice rounds at Zandvoort on Friday are presented here.

The checkered flag is displayed, marking the conclusion of the second practice session and the end of Friday's racing activities.

Russell leads the way for Mercedes, slightly ahead of Piastri in the McLaren and his fellow Mercedes driver Hamilton.

Our focus shifts to extensive run preparation 👌Given that all tyre options are suitable for Sunday's race, maximizing our testing time with each tyre is crucial. Lewis will be on the medium tyres during the third practice, while George will use the soft tyres in the first practice.

Following a series of aggressive laps with the soft tyres, the focus of the competitors has shifted to extended runs to collect essential information for the upcoming Sunday's grand prix.

Scuderia Ferrari has reported a malfunction in the gearbox of Carlos Sainz's vehicle, leading to an early end to his second free practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix. 😞 #DutchGP 🇳🇱 #F1pic.twitter.com/Yl86l08kih

Russell has taken the lead with a time of 1 minute 10.702 seconds on the soft tyre, placing him 0.061 seconds ahead of Piastri in the McLaren.

Hamilton, from the Mercedes team, records the fastest time in the initial sector but falls behind in the subsequent parts of the lap, finishing third, 0.111 seconds behind Russell.

Ferrari has announced that Sainz will not continue in FP2 because of an issue with the gearbox.

This setback will affect the Spanish racer, as he'll be unable to participate in approximately 30 minutes of clear weather racing.

The trials on soft tires have begun, with Norris establishing the early standard.

He secures the leading position, edging out Verstappen by a mere 0.025 seconds with a time of 1 minute and 10.961 seconds.

Perez secures the third position, trailing by approximately six-tenths of a second.

Following are the Williams duo, Albon and Sargeant.

The caution period was brief.

Hulkenberg's vehicle has been removed, and the racers are returning to the track for the last 36 minutes of the second free practice session.

Hulkenberg has met with an accident at the first turn, prompting the weekend's initial red flag to be displayed!

The German driver is okay, however, his Haas vehicle is trapped in the gravel, pushed against the barriers.

Numerous racers faced difficulties at the initial turn due to today's blustery weather, with Hulkenberg being the first to collide with the barriers.

Hamilton has now set the quickest lap on the medium tyres, outpacing Verstappen's prior record by 0.298 seconds.

Meanwhile, Mercedes' Russell has shown progress as well. He secured the third spot, trailing Hamilton by nearly half a second.

Russell experienced a significant skid as he approached Turn 9 and veered off course into the gravel trap.

"Somewhat odd," Russell communicated via the team radio after that incident.

🏁 "Issue with the helmet visor," Piastri pits to change helmets after completing a single lap #F1 #DutchGP 📸 pic.twitter.com/kT68Lh7FPP— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2024

The beginning of this afternoon's session starkly differs from FP1, bustling with activity. This comes as no surprise, considering the greatly improved conditions on the circuit.

Verstappen has established the initial standard, leading ahead of Norris, Hamilton, and his Red Bull colleague Perez. All drivers are currently on the circuit, embarking on their first fast laps.

Currently, focus shifts once again to the circuit, as the second practice session gets underway at Zandvoort.

A fascinating narrative is unfolding today in the F1 paddock.

Reports have surfaced indicating that Uralkali, the Russian company that sponsored the Haas F1 team in 2021, has approached Dutch courts seeking to confiscate assets belonging to the American racing team due to an alleged unpaid sum. The amount reportedly due is around $9 million.

Haas has stated that they are diligently addressing the issue that, potentially, could affect their involvement in the upcoming Italian Grand Prix scheduled for next weekend.

Access the complete article at this link.

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During the initial practice session, which alternated between wet and dry conditions, Lando Norris led the field in his newly improved McLaren.

Norris outpaced Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the first practice session (FP1), finishing 0.201 seconds quicker than the leader of the world championship, while Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton secured the third position.

As we progress into this afternoon's activities, the weather conditions have taken a turn for the better. While the wind persists, the previously overcast and rainy skies have given way to clear, sunny weather.

Greetings once more! We're nearing the commencement of the second practice session in Zandvoort, set to begin at 3pm UK time.

Here's our coverage from the initial practice session at Zandvoort.

Here are the complete outcomes from the first practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The checkered flag has been waved, marking the end of the first practice session at Zandvoort.

Norris leads the way, surpassing the current front-runner Verstappen, as Hamilton secures the third spot following a last-minute boost in his Mercedes performance.

Lando Norris clocks a faster lap in his enhanced McLaren, recording a time of 1m12.818s.

Norris outpaced both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes by a margin of three-tenths.

Lando Norris achieves the quickest lap on soft tires, recording a time of 1 minute and 14.519 seconds, placing him a full second ahead of Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin.

In the last few minutes, both Oscar Piastri and George Russell have alternately led the leaderboard.

Lap times are dropping for those on soft tyres, and the rankings are constantly shifting as the track dries up and conditions get better.

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