Lando Norris set a formidable pace ahead of qualifying at the head of a dominant McLaren one-two in the final practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Zandvoort circuit started green after overnight storms, but the track gripped up rapidly in brilliant sunshine and as more rubber was laid down.
Norris led after the first laps on softs, though a second attempt on used rubber got teammate Oscar Piastri ahead by just over 0.1s. But the Briton put himself well beyond reach with his sole push lap on his second set of fresh softs.
Setting purple times in all three sectors, Norris rocketed to a best time of 1m08.972s. It was faster than his pole position time from 2024 and only 0.087s slower than the track record, held by Max Verstappen and set in 2021.
Piastri’s reply put him 0.242s off his teammate’s benchmark with a lap that was a little scruffy in the first sector but otherwise absent any obvious mistake. A second lap on softs yielded the Australian no overall gains but did see him pinch the purple final sector.
Unlike Friday, there was no other driver in the same league as McLaren to separate Piastri from Norris. George Russell was closest in the order, but the Mercedes driver was a foreboding 0.886s off the pace.
Russell’s session could yet get worse, with the Briton set to see the stewards after the session over an incident with Fernando Alonso at pit entry late in the hour.
Alonso, completing a flying lap, found a slow-moving Russell on the racing line and attempted to pass him to the right. Russell, however, appeared to decide late to enter pit lane and suddenly veered to the right. Alonso was forced to pit to avoid a collision, while Russell jinked back onto the track when he realized what he’d done.
The Spaniard, who was an impressive second at the end of Friday, ended FP3 in 10th and 1.26s off the pace.
Carlos Sainz was a strong fourth, the Williams driver lapping 0.841s off the pace to pip home favorite Max Verstappen to the place by 0.012s.
Charles Leclerc was Ferrari’s best-placed representative, 0.966s off the pace in sixth. That puts Mercedes, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari – along with Williams – separated by just 0.08s just hours before qualifying.
Alex Albon was seventh in the second Williams car ahead of Lance Stroll, whose Aston Martin team had to work through the night to repair his wrecked car following his big FP2 crash.
Isack Hardjar was ninth fastest after missing all of FP2 with a power unit problem, while teammate Liam Lawson was 0.134s further back in 11th, the Racing Bulls pair sandwiching Alonso in 10th.
Yuki Tsunoda was 12th and 0.424s slower than Verstappen.
Gabriel Bortoleto was 13th ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Oliver Bearman, Nico Hulkenberg, Andrea Kimi Antonelli – who had to pit unexpectedly during the qualifying simulations with a gear change issue – and Esteban Ocon.
Alpine endured a dire session, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto locking out the final two places. Gasly was 1.991s off the pace, while Colapinto was 0.091s further back.
RESULTS
