Lando Norris reminded Max Verstappen of his F1 world championship credentials by taking a brilliant pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix.
The British driver, who trails Verstappen by 78 points in the standings with 10 rounds still to play, saw off his rival by 0.356 seconds to silence the 100,000 spectators hoping to see the Dutchman start the Zandvoort race from the front.
Verstappen, without a win from his last four appearances, will start alongside Norris on the front row. Oscar Piastri took third, half a second down on McLaren team-mate Norris.
Mercedes’ George Russell finished fourth as Lewis Hamilton endured an afternoon to forget after he failed to make it out of Q2. He will line up from 12th for Sunday’s 72-lap race.
Follow live updates from the Dutch Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 DUTCH GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Lando Norris takes pole position; Verstappen 2nd; Piastri 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 in qualifying
- Lewis Hamilton out in Q2, also out: Sainz, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Magnussen
- Daniel Ricciardo out in Q1, also out: Ocon, Bottas, Zhou, Sargeant
- CRASH! Logan Sargeant involved in big accident in FP3
- PREVIEW: Max Verstappen’s unbeaten F1 home streak is in doubt – but can Lando Norris finally convert at Dutch GP?
- Lewis Hamilton supports Rwandan Grand Prix ahead of F1 talks
Starting grid for the Dutch Grand Prix:
16:53
Kieran Jackson
1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen
3. Oscar Piastri
4. George Russell
5. Sergio Perez
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Fernando Alonso
8. Alex Albon
9. Lance Stroll
10. Pierre Gasly
11. Carlos Sainz
12. Lewis Hamilton
13. Yuki Tsunoda
14. Nico Hulkenberg
15. Kevin Magnussen
16. Daniel Ricciardo
17. Esteban Ocon
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Zhou Guanyu
20. Logan Sargeant
F1 Dutch Grand Prix - Lewis Hamilton reacts after qualifying P12:
16:05
Kieran Jackson
"It all went badly from when the situation with Perez happened"
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) August 24, 2024
Lewis reflects on being knocked out in Zandvoort Q2 for a second year running ❌ pic.twitter.com/NYYIODIkhC
QUALIFYING REPORT: Lando Norris claims pole position ahead of Max Verstappen to silence Dutch crowd
15:53
Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris reminded Max Verstappen of his world championship credentials by taking a brilliant pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix.
The British driver, who trails Verstappen by 78 points in the standings with 10 rounds still to play, saw off his rival by 0.356 seconds to silence the 100,000 spectators hoping to see the Dutchman start the Zandvoort race from the front.
Verstappen, without a win from his last four appearances, will start alongside Norris on the front row. Oscar Piastri took third, half a second down on McLaren team-mate Norris.
Mercedes’ George Russell finished fourth as Lewis Hamilton endured an afternoon to forget after he failed to make it out of Q2. He will line up from 12th for Sunday’s 72-lap race.
Full report below:
TOP-10 IN QUALIFYING FOR DUTCH GP:
15:41
Kieran Jackson
1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen
3. Oscar Piastri
4. George Russell
5. Sergio Perez
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Fernando Alonso
8. Alex Albon
9. Lance Stroll
10. Pierre Gasly
F1 Dutch Grand Prix - Lando Norris after claiming pole:
15:30
Kieran Jackson
Amazing day, nice to be back and start for a pole - it was a nice lap. Put in some good laps, especially at the end - good job by the team today. It's harder than it looks, it's not easy out there.
“I’m excited for tomorrow, I’m sure it’s going to be tough. Max has been quick, he’ll be putting up a good fight especially at his home race so we’re looking forward to it!”
F1 Dutch Grand Prix - Oscar Piastri after qualifying third:
15:18
Kieran Jackson
“The car has been good so disappointed not to be a bit higher up but we have a good racecar.
“The win is not out of the question, the pace looked good in the long run - we’ve been pretty quick the last few weekends. Hopefully we can get a good start but some good things on offer for tomorrow.”
F1 Dutch Grand Prix - Max Verstappen after qualifying P2:
15:10
Kieran Jackson
“The whole of qualifying we lacked the pace, it's very difficult out there with the wind. I'm happy with second, this is a good result.
“We’ll give it a good go, but when you are more than three-tenths tomorrow you have to be realistic.”
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lando Norris...
15:02
Kieran Jackson
“Lovely work, nice job!”
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lando Norris goes quicker and takes pole!
15:01
Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris takes pole in Zandvoort!
Max Verstappen beat Norris’ time - before Norris blows it out the water with a 1:09:673, 0.356 secs quicker than the Dutchman!
Oscar Piastri takes third place, 0.499 secs off Norris, with George Russell in fourth and Sergio Perez fifth!
6-10: Leclerc, Alonso, Albon, Stroll, Gasly
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lando Norris on provisional pole!
14:57
Kieran Jackson
Norris goes quickest in the first laps with a 1:10:074, 0.119 seconds faster than his team-mate Oscar Piastri!
Max Verstappen is in third - 0.148 secs off the pace - with George Russell in fourth, four-tenths off.
5-10: Alonso, Leclerc, Stroll, Gasly, Perez, Albon
5 minutes to go... will we see much of a change?!
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Q3 underway!
14:49
Kieran Jackson
Here we go then - Q3 underway, who will be on pole in Zandvoort?!
10 drivers involved: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Verstappen, Gasly, Stroll, Perez, Albon, Alonso
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Williams boss James Vowles on Alex Albon:
14:48
Kieran Jackson
“Really strong lap, really strong effort.
“There’s elements of this track which suits the car.”
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton out in Q2!
14:42
Kieran Jackson
Wow, what a shocker here!
Lewis Hamilton is out of qualifying, only 12th-fastest! He lost about three-tenths in the first sector...
Carlos Sainz is also out in 11th!
Bottom-five and out in Q2 (11-15); Sainz, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Magnussen
Alex Albon stormed up to seventh, ahead of Max Verstappen in eighth! Pierre Gasly also through!
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Final Q2 runs coming up!
14:38
Kieran Jackson
Here we go then with the final flying laps of the session - can Alex Albon somehow make up five places to squeeze into Q3?
Current bottom-five (11-15): Magnussen, Gasly, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Albon
Perez, Alonso and Sainz far from safe in eighth, ninth and 10th.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lando Norris goes P1!
14:35
Kieran Jackson
Interesting preview potentially for Q3 - Norris 1st by 0.009 secs to his team-mate Oscar Piastri, with George Russell third and Max Verstappen fourth!
Current bottom-five (11-15): Magnussen, Gasly, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Albon
Carlos Sainz in a tad of danger, loitering above the dangerzone in P10!
6 mins to go, as the cars head into the garage to prepare for their final flying laps.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Q2 underway!
14:28
Kieran Jackson
Time for the second part of qualifying then where, once again, we will lose the slowest five drivers ahead of the top-10 shootout!
Will we have any surprise names in that field of 10?
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Esteban Ocon not happy!
14:24
Kieran Jackson
Ocon: “I don’t know what’s going on but something is going on this session, the car is a disaster from the beginning of the weekend.”
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo out in Q1!
14:21
Kieran Jackson
Ricciardo doesn’t make it - but Tsunoda does! The Aussie out by 0.1 seconds to Nico Hulkenberg in 15th.
Bottom-five and out in Q1 (16-20): Ricciardo, Ocon, Bottas, Zhou, Sargeant
The track was really ramping up at the end there - Sergio Perez went fastest right at the end!
Top-3: Perez, Russell, Sainz
Onto Q2 we go...
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo still in danger!
14:18
Kieran Jackson
Big moment this for Daniel Riccardo - and RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, with both of them in the drop-zone ahead of the final runs!
Carlos Sainz right outside the danger-zone in P15!
Bottom-five (16-20): Ricciardo, Tsunoda, Bottas, Zhou, Sargeant
Top-3: Hamilton, Norris, Verstappen
2 mins to go.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton now P1
14:12
Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen gets his lap done but only third-fastest - yet only by 0.018 seconds to Lewis Hamilton in first! Oscar Piastri splits them.
More importantly, bottom-five (16-20): Ricciardo, Tsunoda, Bottas, Zhou, Sargeant
Logan Sargeant’s car won’t be ready by the look of things - he’s still in the pits after his big crash in practice.
7 minues to go in Q1.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri on P1 early on
14:07
Kieran Jackson
Piastri on top early on, with Lance Stroll in second and Alex Albon in third - though only about half the grid have set times so far. First flying laps all being completed now...
Max Verstappen the only active driver yet to go out on track. 12 minutes to go in Q1.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Q1 underway!
14:02
Kieran Jackson
It’s dry, sunny but breezy at Zandvoort as qualifying gets underway!
No word yet on the state of Logan Sargeant’s car - there’s still a big blind up in front of the garage.
A reminder: we’ll lose the slowest five drivers from qualifying after this 18-minute session!
Driver Standings ahead of qualifying:
13:55
Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen - 277 points
2. Lando Norris - 199 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 177 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 167 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 162 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 150 points
7. Sergio Perez - 131 points
8. George Russell - 116 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 49 points
10. Lance Stroll - 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
14. Oliver Bearman - 6 points
15. Pierre Gasly - 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen - 5 points
17. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
18. Alex Albon - 4 points
19. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points
George Russell reflects on ‘frustrating’ Belgian GP disqualification: ‘It’s still a win’
13:52
Kieran Jackson
George Russell insists he still counts the Belgian Grand Prix as a victory despite his disqualification last month.
The Mercedes driver thought he’d secured his third F1 victory after a brilliant one-stop strategy at Spa-Fracorchamps saw him take the chequered flag in first place, ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
But a post-race check detailed that Russell’s Mercedes car was under-weight and, as per the regulations, the 26-year-old was removed from the post-race classification.
It was a bitter blow for Russell, as he missed out on 25 points and a memorable victory, but speaking a month on ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, the Brit still takes positives from a stunning drive.
Qualifying odds!
13:26
Kieran Jackson
F1 Dutch GP Fastest Qualifier odds
- Lando Norris, Max Verstappen - 7/4
- Oscar Piastri - 13/2
- George Russell - 7/1
- Lewis Hamilton - 10/1
- Charles Leclerc - 14/1
- Carlos Sainz - 33/1
- Sergio Perez - 40/1
- Fernando Alonso - 66/1
- Alex Albon - 100/1
- Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg - 150/1
- Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda - 500/1
- Guanyu Zhou, Logan Sargeant, Valtteri Bottas - 1000/1
Lewis Hamilton’s engineer turns down chance to join Mercedes star at Ferrari
13:12
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton’s long-term race engineer Peter Bonnington will not join the seven-time F1 world champion at Ferrari next year after receiving a promotion at Mercedes.
Hamilton will end his 12-year stint at Mercedes at the end of this season after six world titles with the Silver Arrows. Bonnington has been the voice of wisdom over team radio for all of those triumphs.
Yet Bonnington, known as “Bono” in the paddock, will be Mercedes’ head of race engineering from 2025 and will not join Hamilton with his new venture at the Scuderia.
Bonnington, 49, will also be a race engineer for either George Russell or, more likely, Hamilton’s replacement next season.
2024 Constructors’ Standings:
13:00
Kieran Jackson
1. Red Bull - 408 points
2. McLaren - 366 points
3. Ferrari - 345 points
4. Mercedes - 266 points
5. Aston Martin - 73 points
6. RB - 34 points
7. Haas - 27 points
8. Alpine - 11 points
9. Williams - 4 points
10. Sauber - 0 points
Christian Horner ‘relieved’ after female colleague’s appeal over ‘inappropriate behaviour’ dismissed
12:43
Kieran Jackson
Christian Horner admits he is “relieved” that the appeal from a female colleague alleging “inappropriate behaviour” was dismissed in the F1 summer break.
Red Bull F1 chief executive and team principal Horner was originally cleared of any wrongdoing back in March, having been accused by a female member of staff of “coercive, inappropriate behaviour.”
Horner, 50, was exonerated on the eve of the opening race of the season in Bahrain before a deluge of sexually suggestive texts – allegedly between Horner and the complainant – were leaked to members of the paddock. The veracity of the texts have not been verified, since it came from an anonymous email address.
The complainant was then suspended on full pay before launching an appeal. But on 8 August, her appeal was thrown out following another investigation by a different independent KC – with Red Bull adding that their “internal process has concluded.”
Full quotes below:
2024 Driver Standings:
12:26
Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen - 277 points
2. Lando Norris - 199 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 177 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 167 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 162 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 150 points
7. Sergio Perez - 131 points
8. George Russell - 116 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 49 points
10. Lance Stroll - 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
14. Oliver Bearman - 6 points
15. Pierre Gasly - 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen - 5 points
17. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
18. Alex Albon - 4 points
19. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points
FULL STORY: Logan Sargeant in fiery crash in Dutch Grand Prix practice
11:58
Kieran Jackson
Logan Sargeant walked away unharmed after a nasty accident during wet running in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Williams driver, who will be dropped at the end of the season for Carlos Sainz, was driving early on in FP3 – the final session before Saturday qualifying.
Driving out of the banked turn three, Sargeant’s car clipped the grass. The American then instantly lost control as the car flew into the barrier.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP3 LEADERBOARD
11:45
Kieran Jackson
FP3 CLASSIFICATION
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 24, 2024
A much-shortened session ends with Pierre Gasly on top ⬆️#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/720GF7WpWF
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP3 ends!
11:35
Kieran Jackson
A nice dramatic ending to third practice, as all the cars now line up on the start-finish straight for a practice start off the grid.
Gasly 1st, Magnussen 2nd, Bottas 3rd in the times set right at the end - though a number of drivers didn’t get to the chequered flag in time.
A session, in the end, which is a bit irrelevant.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP3 resumes!
11:31
Kieran Jackson
Busy track for the final two minutes of the session!
Max Verstappen overtook Oscar Piastri in the pit lane and then went over the white line on the exit - that may well be a warning or a fine!
Verstappen has been noted by the stewards.
Bit of a race going on on track in wet conditions, with every car on the intermediate tyre!
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FIA UPDATE
11:27
Kieran Jackson
11:28 is the OFFICIAL start time.
And cue a huge queue in the pit lane at Zandvoort!
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FIA UPDATE
11:26
Kieran Jackson
That 11:25am start time has been altered to 11:27am....
Hhhmmm, they’re still trying to fix the barrier. Looks ambitious to me.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FIA UPDATE
11:21
Kieran Jackson
The FIA state that the session will resume at 11:25am (BST).
It’ll be manic for the final five minutes of the session then!
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: RED FLAG!
11:20
Kieran Jackson
The session no sooner to getting underway it seems, with 12 minutes to go in the session.
And the rain has stopped!
Whether the FIA will extend the session remains to be seen - it appears unlikely. Some drivers, such as Verstappen and Hamilton, haven’t even been out on track.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Williams boss James Vowles on Sargeant’s crash:
11:12
Kieran Jackson
“Qualifying is going to be on us pretty quickly, it’s in a pretty bad state.
“We’ve got to go through in detail what’s been damaged on the car, it looks pretty serious. Logan had to jump out because the car was on fire, he’s in the medical centre but he’s OK.
“You’ve got to compartmentalise what happens. Put that into the box - the real expertise with F1 drivers is that they can typically do that. Once we can do that, we’ll see what he can do tomorrow.”
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Images of Sargeant’s crash!
11:02
Kieran Jackson
Sargeant was coming out of Turn 3 when he lost control and then clattered into the barriers #F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/EMOIl4Y3C3
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 24, 2024
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: RED FLAG!
11:00
Kieran Jackson
Huge amount of debris on track which is why we have a lengthy delay here, as a lorry claims what’s left of Sargeant’s Williams - they will have quite the job on to get that ready for qualifying now.
Substantial damage to the barrier too.
Half-an-hour left... still in a red flag state.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: RED FLAG!
10:48
Kieran Jackson
Logan Sargeant with a big crash with the barrier coming out of turn 3!
“I’m OK,” he says, with smoke pouring out the back of his stricken Williams!
Session stops, as the marshals look to put the fire out.
He just got on the grass slightly - and then instantly lost control!
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: 15 drivers now out on track!
10:46
Kieran Jackson
Majority of the field is now on track, with Nico Hulkenberg and Oscar Piastri both going off amid the wet conditions.
Hulkenberg then drove off with his wing stuck underneath the Haas car and has been noted by the stewards for driving in an unsafe condition.
Early on, Piastri is P1...
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP3 underway!
10:33
Kieran Jackson
We’re underway with the third practice session - but we’re not going to see many cars out on track straight away!
The likes of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris just relaxing out of the cockpit at the moment, but Nico Hulkenberg is the solitary driver out on track in wet conditions at Zandvoort!
FP3 in the Netherlands!
10:27
Kieran Jackson
It’s windy and wet this morning in Zandvoort as the drivers prepare for the third and final hour of practice this morning!
Who can set the final benchmark in this session?
Intermediate sessions set to be in use from the start here...
Max Verstappen unsure of long-term F1 future ahead of milestone at Dutch GP
10:14
Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen insists he is “past halfway” through his F1 career as he brings up his 200th race at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.
The three-time F1 world champion, who made his debut in 2015 at the age of 17, has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season but is unsure whether he will race beyond that date.
Verstappen has previously stated that racing into his late 30s or 40s, like rivals Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, is not on the cards – and he reiterated that belief as F1 returns with his home race at Zandvoort this weekend following the summer break.
Lewis Hamilton’s engineer turns down chance to join Mercedes star at Ferrari
10:02
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton’s long-term race engineer Peter Bonnington will not join the seven-time F1 world champion at Ferrari next year after receiving a promotion at Mercedes.
Hamilton will end his 12-year stint at Mercedes at the end of this season after six world titles with the Silver Arrows. Bonnington has been the voice of wisdom over team radio for all of those triumphs.
Yet Bonnington, known as “Bono” in the paddock, will be Mercedes’ head of race engineering from 2025 and will not join Hamilton with his new venture at the Scuderia.
Bonnington, 49, will also be a race engineer for either George Russell or, more likely, Hamilton’s replacement next season.
2024 Constructors’ Standings:
09:54
Kieran Jackson
1. Red Bull - 408 points
2. McLaren - 366 points
3. Ferrari - 345 points
4. Mercedes - 266 points
5. Aston Martin - 73 points
6. RB - 34 points
7. Haas - 27 points
8. Alpine - 11 points
9. Williams - 4 points
10. Sauber - 0 points
Jack Doohan promoted to F1 seat at Alpine to replace Esteban Ocon in 2025
09:45
Kieran Jackson
Jack Doohan will race for Alpine next year after his promotion to Formula 1 was announced on Friday morning.
The 21-year-old Australian, son of five-time 500cc motorcycling world champion Mick Doohan, has been the team’s reserve driver for the last two years.
He finished third in Formula 2 last year and has now been rewarded for his patience on the sidelines with a call-up to the 20-driver grid next year. He will replace Haas-bound Esteban Ocon.
Should Daniel Ricciardo extend his stay with RB or Red Bull next year, it means there will be three Australians on the grid in 2025, with Doohan joining McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
More detail below:
2024 Driver Standings:
09:42
Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen - 277 points
2. Lando Norris - 199 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 177 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 167 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 162 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 150 points
7. Sergio Perez - 131 points
8. George Russell - 116 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 49 points
10. Lance Stroll - 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
14. Oliver Bearman - 6 points
15. Pierre Gasly - 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen - 5 points
17. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
18. Alex Albon - 4 points
19. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
21. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points
A reminder of the start times this weekend in Zandvoort
09:37
Kieran Jackson
All times BST
Saturday 24 August
- Free practice 3: 10:30am
- Qualifying: 2pm
Sunday 25 August
- Race: 2pm
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP3 and qualifying
09:36
Kieran Jackson
F1 returns after the summer break with Max Verstappen’s home race - the Dutch Grand Prix at the old-school Zandvoort circuit.
Lewis Hamilton claimed his second win in three races in the last race before the shutdown in Belgium after his Mercedes team-mate George Russell was disqualified for being under-weight.
Verstappen, meanwhile, has gone four races without a victory but will fancy his chances in front of a raucous home support at a venue where he has won three times on the spin.
The Red Bull driver has a 78-point lead to McLaren’s Lando Norris in the world championship with 10 races remaining, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc 100 points off Verstappen in third.
FP3 is at 10:30am (BST); qualifying is at 2pm.
WEEKEND PREVIEW: Max Verstappen’s unbeaten F1 home streak is in doubt – but can Lando Norris finally convert at Dutch GP?
Friday 23 August 2024 17:16
Kieran Jackson
On Friday, fresh from a four-week summer break, Lando Norris threw down the gauntlet from the get-go on the coast of the North Sea in Zandvoort. At the conclusion of a wet-turned-dry opening practice session, the McLaren driver – playing the role of world championship contender for the first time in his career – went faster than home Dutch hero Max Verstappen, three times a world champion.
With 10 races left this season, it is an order on the leaderboard which will need repeating over the coming weeks if this year’s F1 title race is to go down to the wire.
If you’d asked Norris and McLaren at the start of the season that, post-summer break, they would be in second place with a deficit of less than 80 points to top spot, they’d have taken it and driven off into the distance. The stark reality is, however, that the gap should be tighter than the current 78-point margin.
Christian Horner ‘relieved’ after female colleague’s appeal over ‘inappropriate behaviour’ dismissed
Friday 23 August 2024 16:45
Kieran Jackson
Christian Horner admits he is “relieved” that the appeal from a female colleague alleging “inappropriate behaviour” was dismissed in the F1 summer break.
Red Bull F1 chief executive and team principal Horner was originally cleared of any wrongdoing back in March, having been accused by a female member of staff of “coercive, inappropriate behaviour.”
Horner, 50, was exonerated on the eve of the opening race of the season in Bahrain before a deluge of sexually suggestive texts – allegedly between Horner and the complainant – were leaked to members of the paddock. The veracity of the texts have not been verified, since it came from an anonymous email address.
The complainant was then suspended on full pay before launching an appeal. But on 8 August, her appeal was thrown out following another investigation by a different independent KC – with Red Bull adding that their “internal process has concluded.”
Full quotes below:
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP2 RESULTS IN FULL
Friday 23 August 2024 16:20
Kieran Jackson
FP2 CLASSIFICATION
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2024
That's a wrap for Friday Bring on quali day!! #F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/eEfwQytQf9
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: George Russell fastest in FP2!
Friday 23 August 2024 16:00
Kieran Jackson
The session concludes with the grid setting a number of race simulation laps - amid windy conditions - and so George Russell remains on top with that time of 1:10:702.
Oscar Piastri was within a tenth for McLaren in second, with Lewis Hamilton in third - a tenth off his team-mate.
4-10: Norris, Verstappen, Alonso, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Leclerc, Albon
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP2 snaps!
Friday 23 August 2024 15:56
Kieran Jackson
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: George Russell up to P1!
Friday 23 August 2024 15:46
Kieran Jackson
George Russell goes fastest as the race simulations begin - he sets a 1:10:702, 0.061 secs quicker than Oscar Piastri in second.
Lewis Hamilton is third, a tenth off, with Lando Norris 0.259 secs off Russell and Max Verstappen 0.284 secs off.
6-10: Alonso, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Leclerc, Albon
Sergio Perez is down in P12 - 20 minutes to go...
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lando Norris goes P1!
Friday 23 August 2024 15:28
Kieran Jackson
The McLaren driver is top of the timesheet with a 1:10:961, 0.025 secs quicker than Max Verstappen. Five-tenths further back is Sergio Perez, as the track times ramp up with drivers switching to the soft tyre.
Lewis Hamilton - top a moment ago - is down to P6!
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is out for the remainder of the session due to a gearbox issue. Far from ideal.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton fastest
Friday 23 August 2024 15:24
Kieran Jackson
The seven-time world champion - who has not won at Zandvoort - is quickest in the first 20 minutes with a 1:11:833, three-tenths faster than Max Verstappen.
3-10: Russell, Alonso, Norris, Stroll, Albon, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Piastri
Smooth running thus far...
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: George Russell in the gravel!
Friday 23 August 2024 15:10
Kieran Jackson
Russell a bit in the dark as he goes straight at turn 9 and into the gravel!
Russell: “Little bit strange.”
Perez endures something similar at turn 1. While it’s no longer wet out on track, it is still very windy here on the North Sea coast!
10 minutes gone, Max Verstappen up top early on.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: FP2 underway!
Friday 23 August 2024 15:02
Kieran Jackson
It’s dry and sunny this afternoon in Zandvoort - in contrast to this morning’s rain - and it’s time for the second hour of practice!
Pierre Gasly leads a fairly substantial queue out of the pit-lane... all 20 cars straight out on track here!
2024 Constructors’ Standings:
Friday 23 August 2024 14:49
Kieran Jackson
1. Red Bull - 408 points
2. McLaren - 366 points
3. Ferrari - 345 points
4. Mercedes - 266 points
5. Aston Martin - 73 points
6. RB - 34 points
7. Haas - 27 points
8. Alpine - 11 points
9. Williams - 4 points
10. Sauber - 0 points
Max Verstappen unsure of long-term F1 future ahead of milestone at Dutch GP
Friday 23 August 2024 14:38
Kieran Jackson
Max Verstappen insists he is “past halfway” through his F1 career as he brings up his 200th race at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.
The three-time F1 world champion, who made his debut in 2015 at the age of 17, has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season but is unsure whether he will race beyond that date.
Verstappen has previously stated that racing into his late 30s or 40s, like rivals Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, is not on the cards – and he reiterated that belief as F1 returns with his home race at Zandvoort this weekend following the summer break.
Lewis Hamilton’s engineer turns down chance to join Mercedes star at Ferrari
Friday 23 August 2024 14:14
Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton’s long-term race engineer Peter Bonnington will not join the seven-time F1 world champion at Ferrari next year after receiving a promotion at Mercedes.
Hamilton will end his 12-year stint at Mercedes at the end of this season after six world titles with the Silver Arrows. Bonnington has been the voice of wisdom over team radio for all of those triumphs.
Yet Bonnington, known as “Bono” in the paddock, will be Mercedes’ head of race engineering from 2025 and will not join Hamilton with his new venture at the Scuderia.
Bonnington, 49, will also be a race engineer for either George Russell or, more likely, Hamilton’s replacement next season.
2024 Driver Standings:
Friday 23 August 2024 14:00