Verstappen conquers home crowd for Dutch GP pole despite disruptions
The qualifying hour for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix was defined by chaotic track conditions as teams struggled to optimize tire strategy on a quickly drying Circuit Zandvoort.
In Q1, Charles Leclerc narrowly avoided becoming the biggest scalp after mistakes, scraping through in P15 just 0.05s ahead of Zhou Guanyu.
Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas, and rookie Liam Lawson were also eliminated in the opening phase.
The drama continued in Q2, where Lewis Hamilton was a shock elimination after getting compromised by traffic on his final lap.
The seven-time champion missed the cut behind Fernando Alonso’s Alpine. Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly were also knocked out, along with Yuki Tsunoda.
Q3 proved particularly frenetic, with two crashes compressing the pole shootout into a four-minute frenzy.
The stoppages began with Williams’ Logan Sargeant, who lost control in Turn 2 then smashed sideways into the barriers after earning his maiden top-ten start.
Heading into the final runs, the McLarens of Lando Norris and rookie Oscar Piastri held provisional front-row spots.
But Max Verstappen had different plans. On his last flyer, the Dutchman gained time rapidly in the first sector before maintaining raw pace through the flowing middle sector.
Though Norris came close to toppling the home hero, losing time in the technical second sector ended his chances.
Verstappen delivered an emphatic performance in front of his adoring home fans to claim pole position with a scintillating 1m10.567s lap.
He beat Norris by a sizeable 0.5s margin, showcasing his dominance at Zandvoort. George Russell snatched P3 late on for Mercedes, ahead of a surprisingly quick Alex Albon in the Williams.
Carlos Sainz took P6 for Ferrari, followed by Perez in the second Red Bull. Charles Leclerc brought out the second red flag after crashing heavily in the barriers. He qualified ninth, behind Piastri.
Verstappen's sensational pole lap underscores his dominance at Zandvoort. With the crowd cheering his every move, he seems primed to deliver maximum Dutch delight on Sunday.
But the disrupted qualifying leaves the door open for surprises, and Norris and Mercedes appear best placed to challenge.
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