Antonelli fastest in sole Dutch GP practice session

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli kicked off the second half of the Formula One season by topping the timesheets in the only practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix. The young Italian, who is approaching his 20th birthday, recorded a best lap of 1 minute 12.949 seconds around the Zandvoort circuit.

McLaren's Lando Norris, the reigning champion and winner at Zandvoort in 2024, finished the session 0.121 seconds behind Antonelli. Norris is aiming for a third consecutive Dutch Grand Prix victory. George Russell, Antonelli's teammate at Mercedes, secured the third fastest time, just 0.004 seconds slower than Norris.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, was fourth fastest, 0.190 seconds off Antonelli's pace. Hamilton is currently 50 points behind the championship leader after 11 rounds. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc placed fifth, ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg.

The Dutch Grand Prix weekend is being run to the sprint format. Qualifying for Saturday's 100km sprint race is scheduled for Friday, with qualifying for Sunday's main grand prix taking place on Saturday afternoon. The Zandvoort circuit is hosting its final Formula One race for the foreseeable future after this weekend's event.