From Zandvoort
For the third time in five occasions, George Russell takes pole position for the Sprint race. It could be a mere coincidence, or the expression of the qualities of a driver skilled when it comes to feeling the grip of the soft tires in Q3 without having tried them until then. The Briton also thanks Mercedes, which stands out with a setup and power delivery strategy different from the rivals. The Dutch weekend promises fun, thanks to a very tight midfield group in which both Ferrari and McLaren show they can aim for an important result.
Read more Piastri curses the softs: “They worsen the balance. Pole position was possible”
Russell and Mercedes share the credit
Zandvoort returns to offering a midfield qualifying like those we were used to with ground effect cars, with the first four drivers on three different cars within less than a tenth of a second. Taking pole position is Mercedes, confirming it still has the potential to put itself ahead of everyone. In Hungary the team had simply made a misstep with the setup, although it is now undeniable that the W17, orphaned of significant updates since Canada, feels the pressure of the competition.
In a qualifying played on the edge of a thousandth, the Brixworth power unit was decisive and not only in terms of horsepower. The Mercedes engineers deserve credit for having identified a power delivery strategy different from the rivals, also based on an aerodynamic configuration rewarding in the first sector at the expense of the central section. The Silver Arrows also continue to stand out for the solidity of the energy management software, which makes the difference when it comes to adapting the delivery strategy to the wind, to say the least variable at Zandvoort, as well as to the mandatory tire compound jump between Q2 and Q3.
In this, credit also goes to George Russell, skilled at preparing and exploiting the soft tire better than others in the only attempt available. The English driver conquers a psychologically important pole position at a difficult moment, moreover on a very technical and tricky track. It remains to be seen what Antonelli will be able to do with the same car. The Italian’s fifth place also stems from damage found on the floor after the excursion on the gravel at the penultimate corner, a consequence of an error perhaps influenced by a gust of wind that at that point was blowing from behind, reducing aerodynamic load and lightening the rear.
McLaren confirms itself
Joining Russell on the front row of the Sprint grid will be Lando Norris, aboard an increasingly credible McLaren. In the Netherlands the MCL40 mounts further updates, to the rear wing, to the FTM behind the exhaust and to the brake cooling ducts, but most of the second development package had arrived in Hungary. Already in Budapest the updated McLaren had shown to be a solid car, especially on more twisty tracks like Zandvoort, which reward the reactivity of the short wheelbase.
Progress is also seen in power unit management thanks to new simulation models, with a greater ability to adapt the energy management strategy to changing wind. Finally, important steps forward are recorded also in the ability to bring the tires up to temperature. The MCL40 has always been a very docile car on the tires, but in Sprint qualifying it did not particularly suffer from the widespread difficulty in heating the right-side tires, often requiring two preparation laps.
Read more Three close teams, two different paths: Russell pole with the underpowered Mercedes
Winning the internal comparison, once again, is Lando Norris, confirming the good tradition at Zandvoort. Oscar Piastri, however, is not far, also taking the satisfaction of putting himself ahead of everyone in Q2. Being able to play with two drivers would be very important for McLaren in race perspective, so as to have more arrows in their quiver to vary the strategy, especially if a midfield fight against several cars should confirm itself.
Ferrari can compete
The Cavallino’s Friday is two-faced. Charles Leclerc finishes in third position just 55 thousandths behind Russell, a result that, despite the understandable disappointment of the Monegasque, confirms a Ferrari fighting in the leading group. The debut of the updated floor directly in qualifying did not help to extract the maximum potential, but at the same time testifies to the team’s confidence in its development tools, without considering correlation tests strictly necessary. The minimal gaps between the first four, however, reiterate how execution is becoming important again, an area in which the Italian team will have to be impeccable if it wants to fight for victory on Sunday.
Much less promising is the start of the weekend for Lewis Hamilton. The final result does not reflect the actual potential of the British driver, perhaps author of a few too many mistakes and hindered in the second preparation lap by Bortoleto’s Audi. In any case, in qualifying the Englishman was often 1-2 tenths behind Leclerc. In Maranello solutions will have to be found with the setup ahead of the parc fermé reopening after the Sprint, with the aim of exploiting the potential that the SF-26 has shown.
Lost Red Bull
The other big disappointment of the day is Max Verstappen, half a second behind the top. Red Bull’s delay thus makes Liam Lawson’s elimination in Q2 more than justifiable, moreover on his debut this year on the Milton Keynes car. The RB22 continues to show balance problems and a too narrow operating window, shortcomings that are amplified in strong and unpredictable wind conditions like at Zandvoort. The Racing Bulls also do not smile, having to surrender, besides to Audi, to Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. The French driver immediately puts to use the updates mounted on his car, which Franco Colapinto will instead benefit from in Monza. Before then, however, there are two races to be held at Zandvoort and, especially for the second, the outcome remains difficult to predict.
Read more Hamilton, misstep in Sprint Qualifying: “It was a total disaster”
