Kimi Antonelli goes first at F1 Zandvoort Free Practice session
Formula 1 returned from its summer break with a bang at Zandvoort, kicking off the fifth Sprint weekend of the 2026 season. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli set the pace in a busy Free Practice 1 session, edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris on a drying track.
Driver shuffles and contract extensions
Plenty of news broke before a wheel was even turned in the Netherlands. Red Bull made headlines by confirming Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension keeping the home hero at the team until 2030. Furthermore, Liam Lawson stepped in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, marking his first race for the senior squad since being demoted last year.
Elsewhere on the grid:
- Yuki Tsunoda returned to Racing Bulls for his first track time in the 2026 generation of cars.
- Williams ended silly season speculation by confirming both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have put pen to paper for next season.
Upgrades and tricky conditions
The session began under grey skies with wet patches forcing early intermediate tyre running. As the racing line dried and track temperatures climbed to 28 degrees Celsius, the field transitioned to slicks. High winds caught several drivers out, with Verstappen, Sainz and Charles Leclerc all taking trips through the Zandvoort gravel traps.
Teams also spent the hour evaluating crucial second-half upgrades. McLaren and Ferrari brought new parts to the track, while Mercedes and Red Bull introduced minor front-wing tweaks. Honda also debuted its highly anticipated Spec 2 power unit following a successful shakedown in Hungary.
Antonelli strikes first
With Sprint Qualifying mandating specific tyre usage later in the day, the final minutes of FP1 saw a flurry of soft-tyre runs. Catching a tow proved critical on the Dutch circuit. Ultimately, Antonelli recovered from an early spin to clock a 1:12.949, pipping Norris by just 0.121 seconds.
Here is how the top ten finished the only practice session of the weekend:
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
Who will reign? 🏆 The second half of the season is upon us…
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 16, 2026
Where immortality awaits.
🎙️ Colin Farrell #F1 pic.twitter.com/bNEHxa8mIW
