Dutch Grand Prix: Max Verstappen beats Lando Norris to pole in crash-strewn session

Max Verstappen has taken rod presumption for his location contention astatine Zandvoort 3 years successful a row

Red Bull's Max Verstappen bushed McLaren's Lando Norris to rod presumption successful a crash-strewn qualifying league astatine the Dutch Grand Prix.

Mercedes operator George Russell was third, portion team-mate Lewis Hamilton could negociate lone 13th.

Alex Albon besides claimed a sensational 4th spot for Williams.

The last league of qualifying was punctuated by 2 red-flag stoppages, arsenic archetypal Logan Sargeant of Williams ruined his archetypal ever quality successful the apical 10 with a clang astatine Turn Two, earlier Charles Leclerc wrecked his Ferrari connected the exit of Turn Nine aft the session's resumption.

Fernando Alonso ended the league successful 5th spot successful the Aston Martin, portion Leclerc's team-mate Carlos Sainz took sixth successful the last moments up of the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Leclerc and Sargeant.

Verstappen said the qualifying league had been tricky, starting connected intermediate tyres successful bedewed conditions and moving connected to adust astatine the end, but that the last thigh had been "very satisfying".

"The unit is ever determination to execute but erstwhile you tin propulsion it off, it's incredible," helium said.

Norris said: "P2 is simply a bully result. In these conditions you anticipation Max makes a mistake, but helium doesn't."

The Briton was faster than Verstappen successful the archetypal assemblage of the thigh but the clip slipped distant from him.

"The archetypal fractional of the thigh was mega," Norris said, "but the 2nd fractional was astir apt 1 of the worst 2nd halvess I've done. But I ever bask these conditions and I'm taking P2. The operator peaked precise early!"

Russell's 3rd spot was his champion effect successful qualifying since starting the Australian Grand Prix successful 2nd astatine the 3rd contention of the season, and helium has been struggling to lucifer Hamilton successful caller races.

"Very blessed to beryllium P3," helium said. "Qualifying was been 1 of my strengths astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth but it had been going a spot incorrect recently, truthful it was bully to person that [summer] interruption to effort fewer things, and present we're back.

"It's going to beryllium an breathtaking race. I'm definite Max volition stake having his Sunday thrust waving to the fans but hopefully we tin person a bully combat with Lando and Alex."

Hamilton complained astir being blocked by traffic, and Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda is nether probe for impeding, but helium admitted helium simply lacked pace.

"Definitely wasn't great," helium said. "It volition beryllium absorbing to spot what comes of that [investigation]. There was a batch of blocking from people. It shouldn't beryllium allowed - it's impeding.

"But I was successful wide conscionable slow. Really, truly dilatory today. I can't for the beingness of maine pinpoint what it is, but the car conscionable doesn't look to beryllium moving for maine today."

Hamilton besides said his tyres overheated arsenic helium tried to bash 2 consecutive accelerated laps astatine the extremity truthful helium could not improve.

Albon's 4th was a daze from Williams, whose car has traditionally been bully connected high-speed tracks that necessitate debased downforce set-ups, the other of the corner-dominated layout astatine Zandvoort.

But Williams person been adjacent to the beforehand each play and Albon excelled passim qualifying to nutrient 1 of the performances of the season.

Russell, who is bully friends with the British-born Thai, joked: "I flew implicit present with Alex and I said: 'What are your expectations? And helium said: 'I deliberation we're going to beryllium rubbish.' So helium got that 1 wrong."

Sainz's sixth spot was harm regulation for Ferrari connected a play successful which they person struggled for pace, though helium is nether probe for impeding Piastri successful the archetypal session.

Leclerc looked similar helium whitethorn person been capable to bash better, but helium wrecked his ain chances by carrying excessively overmuch velocity into Turn Nine connected his archetypal thigh successful Q3.

The car washed wide connected to the grass, and extended harm was done to the left-hand side.