The Sprint of the Dutch Grand Prix has first of all confirmed how the choice to include this format at Zandvoort is at least debatable. Even with the 2026 cars and the new technical regulations, in fact, following closely and especially completing an overtaking on this track remains extremely complicated. However, the short race provided interesting indications on tire behavior and the balance between the top teams, which ahead of qualifying seem once again enclosed in minimal gaps.
Read more Dutch GP 2026, Qualifying: Q1 starts at 16:00 – LIVE
Ferrari very good on soft, Leclerc increasingly comfortable
Among the most positive indications is certainly Ferrari’s performance. The SF26 showed excellent behavior with the soft tire and above all Charles Leclerc seems to have found a particularly good understanding with the car. The Monegasque appears comfortable with the balance, managing to exploit a very effective front in fast corners without excessively destabilizing the rear.
This is probably one of the most interesting aspects of the evolved red thanks to the new floor: the car seems to protect the rear tires well, also limiting the consequences of the chronic lack of power/energy that emerge during traction. This was clearly seen with the performance in the last corners which was consistently excellent for the red, gaining a great advantage for the final straight. At the same time, the front-end remains very strong in fast corners and, when it comes to slow corners, Ferrari undoubtedly becomes the benchmark. Overall, the SF26 seen so far at Zandvoort is a decidedly convincing car, at least on Leclerc’s side. The story changes, however, when moving to the other side of the garage. Lewis Hamilton seemed noticeably less comfortable compared to his teammate, and the impression is that he has not yet found a way to fully adapt to the aero-mechanical balance changes introduced by the new floor. From this point of view, it will be very interesting to see what happens in qualifying, especially considering the open park.
McLaren very fast on the lap, but the rear suffers
McLaren showed very different characteristics. The feeling is that the MCL40 was set with a particularly aggressive front balance: a configuration that makes the car extremely effective on a single lap, especially in fast corners, but that seems to have a significant cost over the race pace, with the rear tires “running out” too early for Norris. The Englishman progressively lost performance in the last corners, precisely where it was necessary to still have tire to ensure traction on the long straight. An element that can become critical in the race because it makes the MCL40 vulnerable. In general, however, the biggest weakness of the papaya car remains slow corners, despite the short wheelbase of the car, with some points on the Dutch track where the Woking car consistently left 1-2 tenths to rivals. On a single lap, however, it remains formidable as we have already seen and given the overtaking difficulties, at least Norris cannot be excluded from the potential fight for the top positions.
Mercedes wins well, continuing to develop performance in its own way
Russell deservedly wins the Sprint with a good start and perfect management. The W17 seems to protect the tires more in fast corners compared to Ferrari and McLaren, paying something in those areas but being very effective in the corners of the first and third sectors. It is possible that there is also a slightly softer mechanical setup, in addition to the usual excellent exploitation of the power unit.
Russell, always alone in clean air, was able to manage without particular problems, while Antonelli completed a good comeback without taking unnecessary risks, correctly thinking also about the championship.
Everything therefore leads to qualifying. The values of the top teams seem separated by very few thousandths and, on a track where overtaking remains almost impossible, the starting position takes on enormous importance. With Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes so close, the session that will assign the pole promises to be one of the most interesting moments of the entire weekend.
Read more Leclerc: “I hoped to catch Russell, but I didn’t have it. I would be surprised by a pole”
