Dutch Grand Prix live qualifying coverage: Max Verstappen grabs pole, but some shocks in the field

After the extended summer shutdown, Formula 1 is back this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix.

And all eyes will be on Max Verstappen.

That is certainly nothing new, but the Red Bull driver is staring down F1 history. Verstappen enters the weekend having won eight-straight races, one shy of the mark set by Sebastian Vettel back in 2013. With a victory at Zandvoort, Verstappen would tie Vettel’s mark of consecutive victories, and take another massive step towards his third-straight Drivers’ Championship.

But Verstappen is not the only storyline to watch this week. Red Bull senior advisor Dr. Helmut Marko added yet more fuel to the fire regarding Sergio Pérez’s job security with the team. While Pérez is under contract through the 2024 season and seemed to be rounding back into form with his P2 at the Belgian Grand Prix, Marko opened the door to speculation about Pérez’s status with the team for next season, outlining how nothing in F1 is “100 percent certain.”

Then there are the teams chasing Red Bull, or more accurately, chasing Mercedes behind them in second place. Can Aston Martin bounce back? Can McLaren continue their recent form? Does Ferrari have an answer for their inconsistency?

Finally, how will Liam Lawson fare in his F1 debut? Lawson was tapped to slide into the cockpit of Daniel Ricciardo’s AT04, after Ricciardo’s unfortunate crash in FP2 resulted in a broken wrist for the driver.

Those questions, and more, will find some answers today. Qualifying is set to begin just before 9:00 a.m. Eastern, and we’ll get things rolling well before then with notes from FP3 and more. So come back early and often!

All updates are in Eastern.

Update 10:33: Russell believes he is in a good position to fight for a podium on Sunday. “It’s going to be an exciting race, I’m sure Max will be having a Sunday drive and waving to the crowd ...”

He also says that he is really happy for Williams and Albon. He also points out that on the flight over Albon told Russell that he believed Williams would be “rubbish” this weekend, but Russell speculates that Albon is probably happy “he got that wrong.”

Update 10:32: Norris calls second a “good result.”

“In these kind of conditions, every now and again you hope Max makes a mistake and of course he doesn’t.”

The McLaren driver says that qualifying is always “stressful,” but outlines how he enjoys the tricky conditions. He also poked some fun at himself, calling the first half of his final lap “mega,” but outlines how “the driver peaked” over that first half of the lap.

Update 10:30: Verstappen calls the last lap “very enjoyable.” The driver then pays tribute to the home crowd as the Orange Army roars to life.

Update 10:27: Albon goes into the top three for a moment, but is caught immediately by Russell for P3.

Verstappen on pole, with Norris alongside him. Russell and Albon are the second row.

Update 10:26: Between Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri it is Norris with the fastest first sector. But Verstappen comes across on provisional pole. Piastri goes second, but is immediately caught by Norris who goes into P2.

Update 10:25: Verstappen starts his final push lap with clean air in front of him. Can he deliver some magic?

Update 10:23: Things are back underway with under three minutes to go. Can Verstappen track down another pole? Will McLaren hold him off? Can someone else deliver a shocker?

We will know in just a few moments.

Update 10:16: The red flag is out again. Leclerc spins out and into the wall at the exit of Turn 9, bringing his Q3 session to an early end.

Update 10:15: Five minutes to go in Q3 and it is again a McLaren 1-2, with Norris just ahead of Piastri. Verstappen comes across on a flying lap and can only get into third with under five minutes to go.

Update 10:14: We are back underway and just six minutes remain in Q3.

Update 10:02: Red flag is still out, and the wave is making its way around Zandvoort.

Update 9:54: The red flag is out after Sargeant’s spin, freezing the clock with 8:13 left in Q3.

Update 9:53: Disaster for Sargeant. After posting a lap that moved him up to P2, Sargeant goes off at Turn 2 and into the wall.

Update 9:52: Verstappen was the only driver on intermediates, and he comes in immediately to make the change to softs.

Update 9:50: Albon, Russell, Alonso, Sainz, and Sargeant are out on softs. Piastri, Leclerc, and Pérez are on intermediates.

Update 9:48: DRS has been enabled for Q3, with conditions drying out.

Norris tells his team that if they wanted to take a “big risk,” they could try a set of slicks.

Update 9:47: Congratulations to Logan Sargeant, as he sees his first Q3 of the season.

Update 9:43: Here is the top ten from Q2:

Verstappen
Piastri
Albon
Alonso
Leclerc
Russell
Norris
Pérez
Sainz
Sargeant

Update 9:42: A stunner as Hamilton is out in Q2. Sargeant advances at the death, coming across in P10. He was the last car to come across the line in Q2.

Stroll, Gasly, Hamilton, Tsunoda, and Hülkenberg are the five drivers eliminated.

Update 9:41: Leclerc pushes into P3, so he should be safe.

Update 9:40: One minute to go and both Ferraris are in the drop zone. Somewhere my dear friend Michael Kist is screaming, and my weekly DMs from Ferrari fans are about to be amazing ...

Update 9:38: Albon into P1! A massive lap from the Williams driver puts him back to the top of the table.

You can see the dry line on the grid on F1TV’s coverage, so the times should continue to tumble. Commentators speculating that Pérez might be in trouble, given how the times are tumbling.

Sargeant joins Albon in the top five, with a lap that puts the rookie in P5. Big weekend from Williams coming?

Update 9:37: Pérez rockets into P2, but is almost a full second behind Verstappen who is in P1.

Update 9:36: Under five minutes to go, and a few things are notable.

First, a dry line has emerged on the track, so times should tumble.

Second, some big names are in the drop zone. Pérez and Sainz among them. Sainz is running in P15 and might have just one shot at advancing.

Update 9:34: All 15 drivers are on intermediates, but the sun is coming out. The track seems to be drying out rather quickly.

Sainz tells his team that with the surface drying out, he should have a new set of intermediates bolted on for the end of the session.

Might we see some slicks in Q3?

Update 9:33: Both Norris and Albon leap out of the drop zone. Albon goes into P3, while Norris goes to the top of the timing sheets. Verstappen lurks between them in P2.

Update 9:32: Under ten minutes left in Q2 and the current bottom five? Albon, Gasly, Norris, Tsunoda, and Sainz.

Update 9:29: Completely purple lap from Verstappen puts him into P1 early in the second qualifying session. Russell, Sargeant, Perez, and Hamilton round out the early top five.

Update 9:25: Red Bull tells Verstappen over the radio that there is one heavy cell of rain near the track, but it is unclear whether it will pose an issue during Q2.

Update 9:24: With his P1 in Q1, Alex Albon gets the image of honor for Q2.

Update 9:22: Here is the full classification from Q1:

Update 9:21: At the other end of the field, Albon ends Q1 in P1, ahead of Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, and Sainz who round out the top five.

Leclerc is on the radio with his team, and sounds extremely frustrated with the session and how the team managed the traffic.

Update 9:19: Checkered flag is out and Leclerc is barely into Q2. He comes across at the end in P14.

Zhou, Ocon, Magnussen, Bottas, and Lawson are the five drivers eliminated.

Update 9:18: Sainz jumps to P5, but that helps force Leclerc into the drop zone. Leclerc will have one lap to advance with time winding down.

Update 9:17: Two minutes left in Q1 and your current bottom five? Sainz, Ocon, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, and Lawson.

With rain starting to fall, some of the big names are at risk here in Q1.

Update 9:15: Scary moment with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Piastri. The Ferrari driver pulls out of the pits and tries to get into the racing line, nearly forcing Piastri off the track.

Sainz tells his team that he could not see the McLaren coming.

Update 9:14: Verstappen jumps back into P1, just ahead of Piastri.

Update 9:12: Alpine tells Gasly that rain is coming “in five minutes,” which might see a wet end to Q1.

Update 9:10: Piastri jumps ahead of Norris into P1. Big McLaren weekend coming?

Update 9:09: Turn 1 posing a problem for drivers. Leclerc is the next driver to slide off at that spot on the track.

As for Verstappen, he seems to have settled in, as he rockets to the top of the board. But his time in P1 is short-lived, as Norris immediately nips him to gain the top spot.

Update 9:07: Around 11 minutes left in Q1 and your top four? Norris, Piastri, Albon, and Sargeant.

You do not see that every day.

Update 9:05: Times are getting posted, and it is Logan Sargeant from Williams at the top of the board.

Verstappen — like many other drivers — slides off at Turn 1. He reports to his team some problems with his RB19: “Mate what the **** is going on with the car? I have no grip, I’m spinning everything everywhere.”

Update 9:04: All 20 cars are on the track, and all 20 cars are on the intermediates. The sun is out, but the track is still wet from the earlier rain.

Update 9:01: Green flag is out at Zandvoort. So that means ...

Opening titles!

Update 8:36: The main story from the third and final practice session?

The weather conditions.

FP3 started out in wet conditions, and while the track dried out over the course of the session, three different flags flew during FP3. A number of drivers slid off the track early in the session, including Verstappen, and the first red flag came out when Kevin Magnussen spun into the wall at Turn 3.

It was Zhou Guanyu who brought out the second red flag, after he spun into the gravel at Turn 13. Liam Lawson, making his F1 debut, was the reason for the third red flag of the day, spinning out at Turn 13 and getting stuck facing the wrong way on the track:

Here are the times from FP3: