Russell fastest in sprint qualifying before the 2026 Dutch GP

George Russell was the fastest in the sprint qualifying before the 2026 Dutch GP, the Briton narrowly beating three rivals during a very close fight in the final segment. The world championship leader Antonelli was fifth, as he damaged the floor at the start of the time trial by going off onto the shoulder.

Read more What changes in race strategy await us in F1?

Friday’s sprint qualifying was held on a fully dry track (it rained in Zandvoort in the morning). At the start of the time trial, the track temperature was 36 degrees Celsius, but during the session it dropped to 30 degrees, and the wind also increased. The weather conditions were therefore variable. However, there were no interruptions or serious failures, only minor off-track excursions.

Sprint qualifying results before the 2026 Dutch GP

Discussion of sprint qualifying before the 2026 Dutch GP

Qualifying at the Zandvoort track confirmed the biggest flaw of the current sprint format, namely the SQ3 segment. Everyone then goes out for only one flying lap on soft tires. The final segment lasts eight minutes, but all the action is condensed at the very end because everyone believes that the conditions are best then. If a yellow or red flag were to occur, most drivers would lose their chances. I am in favor of modifying the last segment of the time trial; I would like each driver to go out for one flying lap, for example, every 45 or 60 seconds.

George Russell won the sprint qualifying after a very good lap in SQ3. Four drivers fought for Pole Position, as Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri were less than 0.1 seconds behind him. Russell won the qualifying literally in the last meters. Norris and Leclerc were better exiting the last corner, but Russell had excellent top speed and overtook them before the finish line. The reason was completely different car/energy unit settings. Russell had overall sector records in the first and third sectors, but lost as much as 0.45 seconds to Norris in the middle sector. Antonelli’s situation was very similar, so Mercedes prepared the cars differently from their rivals. I expect that for the main qualifying there will be equalization in this matter among the top teams.

The results of the top four drivers were extremely close. Russell, Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri were within 0.099 seconds. Personally, I was betting on a McLaren victory because this track should suit them very well. They had two drivers in the tight top group, but they just missed out. Leclerc also drove very well in Ferrari and was very pleased with himself.

Kimi Antonelli went onto the gravel at the very beginning of qualifying and damaged his floor. The mechanics patched it up with tape during breaks, but some damage remained. I can imagine that without these damages we would have had two Mercedes drivers at the front. Antonelli will start the sprint from fifth position; it will be difficult for him to move higher on this track.

Verstappen and Hamilton fought for sixth place. Red Bull started this weekend poorly, so Verstappen’s position is not surprising, nor is the time loss. I expect that after the sprint they will change the car settings and the form will be better for the main sessions. Hamilton drove poorly in SQ3, especially failing the first sector (he was slower than on intermediate tires in SQ2). He probably did not have optimally prepared tires at the start of the flying lap. He should be in the tight top group but only took seventh place.

Read more Formula 1 – how the most important motorsport series works

Alpine introduced significant changes to Pierre Gasly’s car this weekend, and the Frenchman secured eighth place in qualifying, making him the best in the midfield. Alpine has very high expectations for this upgrade package; Colapinto will get it in two weeks.

Credit is due to Yuki Tsunoda, who returned to F1 in emergency mode, driving a new generation car for the first time and securing 12th place. Liam Lawson placed one position higher, driving a Red Bull for the first time this year. His result can be described as expected.

Alonso took the last place, having a failure in the rear wing mechanism, which caused significant losses on the straights. Aston Martin has a second major upgrade package for the car this weekend and an improved Honda engine, but so far no significant improvement is visible. Let’s give them time until the main qualifying.

Summary and predictions for the sprint

Most drivers completed few laps in SQ2; in my opinion, they deliberately saved sets of intermediate tires, i.e., they plan to start the sprint on used tires from SQ2. Starting on soft tires cannot be ruled out either. The Sunday race should be a two-stop race, so drivers should save new sets of intermediate tires for this purpose. Historically, overtaking at Zandvoort is difficult and tire wear is quite low, so I would not expect fireworks and many direct battles in the sprint. The start will be crucial, and then little may happen at the front. However, any random event at the start or a later safety car would change the situation significantly.

Russell will be the favorite to win if he defends the lead after the start. The top five drivers (assuming Antonelli’s car is repaired) are so close to each other that track position will be the most important, and overtaking within this group will be very difficult.

The summary of internal duels in sprint qualifying and the sprints themselves can be checked at this link. It also includes a table of points scored this year only in sprints.

Read more How does a Formula 1 weekend work? From practice to race