Norris on pole for the Dutch Grand Prix
Norris set a 1:11.163 at Zandvoort to claim pole, a tenth ahead of George Russell; the Dutch Grand Prix is the season's 12th race and runs tomorrow.
McLaren driver Lando Norris took pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix, the 12th round of the Formula 1 season, which is scheduled to run tomorrow. Norris set a quickest lap of 1:11.163, finishing a tenth of a second clear of George Russell in the Mercedes.
Second straight pole at Zandvoort
This was Norris's second consecutive pole at Zandvoort — he again produced the fastest single lap around the coastal circuit with a 1:11.163. The margin to Russell was roughly one tenth, a narrow advantage that hands McLaren the top spot on the grid.
The result came after a dramatic sprint qualifying period the previous day, when Norris lost the sprint pole in the closing moments; the sprint itself was won by the Mercedes driver. The pole on Saturday gives Norris a clearer starting position for tomorrow's feature race.
Closest to the two British front-runners was championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was only 31 thousandths of a second behind his team-mate. That tiny gap underlined how tight the field remains at the front as the championship heads into its 12th round.
Teams will now turn to race setup and strategy work overnight, with tyre management and the long run pace expected to play a decisive role when the lights go out tomorrow at Zandvoort.
Article published 22.08.2026 17:30.
Photo: press material from the event
