Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on Saturday, posting a lap of 1:11.163 to edge out Mercedes driver George Russell by just 0.102 seconds in a tense qualifying session that ended with the first drops of rain beginning to fall on the coastal track. Russell's Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, who leads the drivers' championship, qualified third, while home favourite Max Verstappen could only manage seventh place in his Red Bull.

Norris, who also took pole at Zandvoort in 2024 and went on to win that race, admitted he had not expected to top the timesheets.