Interpreting race pace during a normal Formula 1 weekend is difficult enough, but doing so in the middle of a Sprint event is even more complicated. At Zandvoort, however, the biggest uncertainty after Dutch Grand Prix FP1 does not appear to concern fuel loads as much as tyre behaviour and, in particular, how long the different compounds can maintain their performance.
The initial indications are nevertheless encouraging for Ferrari. Based on the lap times recorded during the long runs, Lando Norris and the two Ferrari drivers appear to have been running with broadly similar fuel loads, allowing for the inevitable difference of a few kilograms. Mercedes and Oscar Piastri appeared to be carrying slightly more fuel, as did both Red Bulls.
Red Bull’s programme was also difficult to assess because the Milton Keynes team used the Hard C2 compound and completed only a limited number of laps. That makes drawing any meaningful comparison from its race simulation particularly difficult.
Ferrari race pace stands out on the C3 tyre at Zandvoort
The comparison between Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes is much more revealing, particularly because all six drivers involved completed running on the Medium C3 tyre.
For once, Ferrari appeared immediately comfortable on a compound that had proved difficult to interpret during the opening part of the 2026 season. The cooler conditions at Zandvoort may have contributed to bringing the C3 into a more favourable operating window, and Ferrari’s race pace appeared extremely competitive as a result.
Indeed, the SF-26 may have produced the strongest long-run performance among the leading teams. That represents an encouraging development given how sensitive tyre behaviour has been during the season and reinforces the importance of understanding the tyre and set-up challenge posed by the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint weekend.
It remains to be seen how the competitive picture develops as conditions change through the rest of the weekend, but Ferrari’s first indications on the Medium tyre were among the most positive aspects of Friday practice.
Why Lewis Hamilton’s apparent advantage does not tell the whole story
At first glance, Lewis Hamilton appeared to have produced the best race pace of the group. The seven-time world champion was followed by Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, George Russell and Oscar Piastri when looking simply at the recorded lap times.
That ranking, however, does not account for one crucial variable: how many laps each driver had already completed on the tyre before setting those times.
Charles Leclerc’s run is particularly significant. The Monegasque had already completed 17 laps before beginning the seven-lap long-run sequence under consideration. Added together, that gives a total of 24 laps on the same set of tyres.
That number is especially relevant because it corresponds to the distance the drivers will have to complete in Saturday’s Sprint. In effect, Ferrari managed to carry out a tyre endurance test covering the equivalent of the entire Sprint distance while still demonstrating highly competitive and consistent performance.
Charles Leclerc’s 24-lap tyre run strengthens Ferrari Sprint hopes
The significance of Charles Leclerc’s programme therefore extends beyond the headline lap times. Ferrari did not merely demonstrate speed on relatively fresh Medium tyres; the SF-26 also maintained its level of performance deep into a heavily used set.
If Leclerc can reproduce that combination of pace and consistency in the Sprint, he should have an opportunity to fight for victory. His starting position will obviously make the opening metres particularly important, because overtaking remains difficult around the narrow and twisting Zandvoort circuit.
Track position was already expected to be one of the decisive factors during the weekend, with the Dutch circuit offering relatively few straightforward overtaking opportunities despite the potential strategic variation created by the Sprint format. Ferrari’s long-run data therefore gives Leclerc an encouraging foundation, but converting that underlying pace into a result will depend heavily on what happens at the start.
The characteristics of the SF-26 may also help explain the encouraging tyre behaviour. Ferrari has continued developing the car for Zandvoort, with its latest aerodynamic work focused on improving performance and consistency across the circuit’s demanding combination of corners. The team’s latest SF-26 floor, bargeboard and diffuser developments form part of that wider effort.
Lewis Hamilton faces a much tougher Sprint from seventh
For Lewis Hamilton, Friday may leave considerably more frustration. Although his race pace looked extremely strong, his seventh-place starting position could prove a major obstacle in Saturday’s Sprint.
The difficulty of overtaking at Zandvoort means that strong underlying pace does not automatically guarantee an opportunity to recover several positions over such a short race distance. Hamilton may therefore have reasons for regret after Sprint Qualifying, especially considering what Ferrari’s FP1 long-run data suggests about the potential of the SF-26.
His Friday programme had nevertheless provided positive indications before the competitive session, with Ferrari appearing particularly comfortable on the Medium compound. That performance forms part of the wider picture behind the team’s strong C3 performance during Dutch GP FP1.
Ferrari still has more opportunities after the Sprint
The advantage of the Sprint format for Hamilton is that Friday does not define the entire weekend. Even if seventh on the grid makes a fight at the very front of Saturday’s Sprint difficult, there will still be another competitive session later on Saturday before the main Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton will therefore have further opportunities to extract the pace Ferrari showed during its long runs. For the immediate Sprint, however, Charles Leclerc appears to have the clearer opportunity to capitalise on the SF-26’s promising tyre management and race performance.
The most encouraging conclusion for Ferrari is that the C3 tyre, which had been difficult to fully understand earlier in the season, behaved particularly well in the cooler Zandvoort conditions. Leclerc’s 24-lap total provides one of the most representative indications available ahead of the Sprint, and both the speed and consistency of that run suggest Ferrari has genuine reason for optimism.
Lewis Hamilton may need to wait for his best opportunity because of his starting position, but for Ferrari as a whole, the first meaningful race simulations of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend delivered a very positive signal.
Leave a Reply