Lando Norris will start the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix from pole position after mastering an unusual qualifying session at Zandvoort, while Ferrari was left with a disappointing third row. George Russell secured second for Mercedes ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with Lewis Hamilton fifth and Charles Leclerc sixth for the Maranello team.
McLaren and Mercedes therefore share the first two rows, while Ferrari faces a more difficult race than expected at a circuit that was considered relatively favourable to the SF-26. Hamilton managed to qualify ahead of Leclerc, but both Ferraris finished more than three tenths away from pole. The result reinforces the contrast between Ferrari’s qualifying limitations and its stronger race potential at Zandvoort.
2026 Dutch GP qualifying results and starting grid
- Lando Norris – McLaren – 1:11.163
- George Russell – Mercedes – 1:11.265
- Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – 1:11.296
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren – 1:11.305
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari – 1:11.494
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – 1:11.558
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull – 1:11.618
- Liam Lawson – Red Bull – 1:11.733
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi – 1:12.079
- Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls – 1:12.185
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine – 1:12.616
- Yuki Tsunoda – Racing Bulls – 1:12.627
- Nico Hülkenberg – Audi – 1:12.797
- Franco Colapinto – Alpine – 1:12.800
- Esteban Ocon – Haas – 1:13.137
- Alexander Albon – Williams – 1:13.182
- Carlos Sainz – Williams – 1:13.574
- Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – 1:13.650
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin – 1:13.818
- Oliver Bearman – Haas – 1:13.826
- Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac – 1:14.371
- Sergio Perez – Cadillac – 1:14.600
Lando Norris handles rain threat to claim 18th F1 pole
Qualifying at Zandvoort developed in unusual circumstances, with the threat of rain forcing the drivers to head out earlier than normal during Q3. Norris coped best with the uncertainty, producing a 1:11.163 to secure the 18th pole position of his Formula 1 career.
That moves the McLaren driver level with Mario Andretti, René Arnoux and Kimi Räikkönen on 18 career poles. It was also Norris’s second consecutive pole after his previous success at the Hungaroring.
McLaren once again confirmed itself as one of the most consistent teams across the Dutch GP weekend. Changes made to Norris’s car after a difficult Sprint worked as intended, allowing the Briton to reverse the order from the previous day and beat George Russell.
Russell finished only 0.102 seconds away from pole and maintained the strong momentum he had shown through Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint itself. The former Williams driver once again beat Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli, although the gap between them narrowed substantially.
Antonelli misses front row after Turn 1 mistake
Kimi Antonelli came within just 0.031 seconds of joining Russell on the front row. The championship leader was left to regret an error at Turn 1 which cost him approximately two tenths of a second.
Oscar Piastri completed the second row in fourth place for McLaren, meaning the two leading teams occupied all four positions ahead of Ferrari.
Ferrari limited to third row at Zandvoort
Ferrari’s qualifying session ended with Hamilton fifth and Leclerc sixth, a disappointing outcome given the expectations surrounding the SF-26 at Zandvoort. The circuit had been expected to suit the car in a similar way to Hungary, while Ferrari was also running a new floor as part of its latest development package.
The decision to complete two preparation laps during the closing stages of Q3, despite the strong threat of rain, did not pay off in terms of the final result. However, it was not the only reason Ferrari fell short.
A change in electrical energy management also complicated Leclerc’s final qualifying phase. The Monegasque acknowledged the issue afterwards, and telemetry showed how Ferrari’s altered hybrid deployment affected Charles Leclerc during Q3.
The overall impression was that the SF-26 simply did not have the single-lap potential to challenge McLaren and Mercedes without mistakes from the cars ahead. That represents a clear disappointment considering the characteristics of Zandvoort and the introduction of Ferrari’s new floor.
Ferrari hopes new SF-26 floor delivers more in race trim
The latest floor did not provide enough of a qualifying gain to move Ferrari into the fight for pole, but the Maranello team will hope it proves more valuable over a Grand Prix distance. Technical analysis of the package indicates that the updated SF-26 floor improved the car’s overall balance, even though other limitations restricted its performance over one lap.
Ferrari’s main concern is that the Sprint already demonstrated how difficult overtaking can be around Zandvoort, even with the 2026 cars. Starting fifth and sixth therefore leaves Hamilton and Leclerc facing an uphill battle despite hopes that the SF-26 will be more competitive on race pace.
Strategy could consequently become one of Ferrari’s main opportunities to move forward. With Zandvoort also vulnerable to changing weather, the timing of tyre changes may be especially important, as highlighted by the potentially huge cost of choosing the wrong tyres if rain arrives.
Max Verstappen starts directly behind the Ferraris
Ferrari will also have to contend with Max Verstappen immediately behind. The Red Bull driver qualified seventh and will start directly behind Hamilton and Leclerc in what is his final home Grand Prix at Zandvoort, adding another potential threat to the two SF-26 cars.
Liam Lawson also impressed in eighth, finishing only one tenth behind Verstappen. Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10 after another strong showing.
Further back, Aston Martin managed to place both cars ahead of the two Cadillacs and Oliver Bearman’s Haas. There was little reason for celebration, but the AMR26 at least showed some signs of progress despite the limitations that continue to emerge from its Power Unit.
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