Ferrari leads the way as Verstappen struggles in Zandvoort long runs

Antonelli was the fastest driver in the first and only free practice session at Zandvoort, but Ferrari moved to the top when attention shifted to the long runs. Hamilton recorded the best average of the session, with Leclerc also showing strong pace. The Briton has already made clear his desire to add a Dutch Grand Prix victory to his record in the final edition of the event, and the early race simulations suggest he could have the pace to challenge.

Lando Norris was another driver to impress over the longer runs. The reigning world champion finished less than a tenth per lap behind Leclerc and ahead of both Mercedes drivers, suggesting McLaren's strong form from Hungary may have carried over to Zandvoort.

Further down the order, Red Bull endured a more difficult session. Max Verstappen finished FP1 in eleventh place, more than a second behind Antonelli's benchmark, and although his position improved when comparing long-run averages, the overall picture remained challenging.

Verstappen averaged a 1:17.173 during his stint, placing him seventh in the long-run order and more than a second per lap behind Hamilton. However, the comparison comes with an important caveat, as the four-time world champion completed his run on the hard compound while the other drivers from the established top four used mediums. Even taking the tyre difference into account, the deficit remained considerable, with Oscar Piastri more than half a second per lap faster.

Liam Lawson was further back on his return to Red Bull Racing, recording the eleventh-best long-run average with a 1:17.765. In his first appearance for the team since China 2025, the New Zealander was around half a second per lap slower than Verstappen.

There were also encouraging signs for Racing Bulls, particularly from Yuki Tsunoda on his debut in the new generation of F1 cars. The Japanese driver was only marginally slower than teammate Arvid Lindblad across both the short and long runs.