McLaren’s LANDO Norris managed to outpace Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in the first practice session at the Dutch GP which started in wet and windy conditions, Friday (23/8).
Strong winds, with speeds of more than 70 km/h, continued to blow throughout the session, but the track, which was wet at the start of the session, became dry towards the end.
Norris was 0.201 seconds quicker than Verstappen, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton third fastest, 0.684 seconds adrift of Verstappen.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, on the medium compound tyre, was fourth. Mercedes’ George Russell was fifth, behind Williams’ Alex Albon and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
The tricky conditions caused a number of drivers to make mistakes and run wide, including Verstappen towards the end of the lap.
Norris’ performance was encouraging for McLaren, who have made improvements to their car since the Miami GP in May.
The team said the expected lap time step was not as big as the one seen in Miami, which saw McLaren surge into Red Bull’s main rivals.
These unpredictable conditions are expected to continue throughout the day on the Zandvoort track, which is located in the dunes on the North Sea coast. (Z-6)
#Lando #Norris #Fastest #Practice #Dutch
