***RacerViews coverage of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship was delayed this week due to staff holiday***
Formula 1 is back in action after a much needed summer break as teams and drivers assembled along the sandy dunes of Zandvoort for the start of the second half of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship.
With mixed conditions forcing drivers to adapt quickly Friday morning, Lando Norris ended the first session of the day quickest of all putting his McLaren two tenths clear of the local favorite, Max Verstappen and six tenths up from fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton.
MUST-SEE: Join Norris for a lap of Zandvoort with F1’s spectacular gyro cam
As rain swept through the area, Alpine and Pierre Gasly went out on track to see how things were with the French driver describing the conditions as “pretty wild” before Nico Hulkenberg discovered it himself, locking up his Haas machine before sliding across the gravel. Ten minutes into the session conditions improved as the rain left the circuit, leaving behind higher than average winds and standing water on track.
As conditions improved the off-track excursions continued as drivers pushed further, but in the waning moment drivers took a gamble on slicks for a final run vaulting Norris to the top of the time sheets, nearly 3 seconds quicker than his fastest intermediate tire time. Times continued to come in as Norris dropped down the order, but a final lap from the McLaren driver pushed him back to the top spot as practice came to a close.
Behind Norris and Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz put in the 3rd and 4th quickest times ahead of George Russell and Alex Albon. Norris’s teammate Piastri was seventh quickest as the Haas duo slotted in 8th and 9th with Zhou Guanyu in 10th.
Team will regroup and return to action this afternoon for the second free practice session.
FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX 2024 Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (Local Circuit) |
| August 23rd | Practice 1 | 12:30 – 13:30 |
| Practice 2 | 16:00 – 17:00 | |
| August 24th | Practice 3 | 11:30 – 12:30 |
| Qualifying | 15:00 – 16:00 | |
| August 25th | Race | 15:00 |
Free Practice 1 Results
Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:12.322 | 17 | |
2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:12.523 | +0.201s | 13 |
3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:13.006 | +0.684s | 13 |
4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:13.074 | +0.752s | 15 |
5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:13.142 | +0.820s | 17 |
6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:13.159 | +0.837s | 14 |
7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:13.230 | +0.908s | 14 |
8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:13.563 | +1.241s | 18 |
9 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:13.597 | +1.275s | 15 |
10 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:13.965 | +1.643s | 15 |
11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:14.151 | +1.829s | 14 |
12 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:14.279 | +1.957s | 12 |
13 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:14.306 | +1.984s | 15 |
14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 1:14.418 | +2.096s | 13 |
15 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:14.467 | +2.145s | 15 |
16 | 97 | Robert Shwartzman | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:14.658 | +2.336s | 15 |
17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.605 | +3.283s | 12 |
18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:15.796 | +3.474s | 15 |
19 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 1:16.231 | +3.909s | 15 |
20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:22.036 | +9.714s | 8 |
