George Russell claimed pole position for the Sprint at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix after a remarkably close battle at Zandvoort, beating Lando Norris by just 0.041 seconds. Charles Leclerc came even closer to threatening the Mercedes driver, finishing third only 0.055 seconds from pole, while Lewis Hamilton slipped to seventh after Ferrari had looked capable of fighting at the very front.
George Russell’s 1:11.567 proved enough to secure the best starting position for Saturday’s Sprint, with Lando Norris second and Charles Leclerc third. Oscar Piastri completed the top four, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli had to settle for fifth after failing to reproduce the speed that had put him at the top of FP1 earlier in the day.
2026 Dutch GP Sprint Qualifying: George Russell wins a fight decided by tiny margins
Kimi Antonelli had started the Sprint-format Dutch Grand Prix weekend in impressive fashion by setting the fastest time in the only free practice session. However, the 19-year-old Italian already experienced a more difficult time during the opening phase of Sprint Qualifying, including an off-track moment.
When SQ3 arrived, Kimi Antonelli was unable to put together the lap required to challenge for first place. He eventually finished 0.227 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell, leaving him fifth on the grid behind both McLarens and Charles Leclerc.
The result inevitably leaves some frustration given the pace Kimi Antonelli had demonstrated earlier, although the margins at the front underlined just how competitive the session was. Only 0.099 seconds separated George Russell, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri in the top four.
Ferrari flies through SQ1 and SQ2 before Lewis Hamilton drops to seventh
Ferrari had even more reason to believe Sprint pole was within reach. Charles Leclerc topped SQ1 with a 1:13.011, while Lewis Hamilton was fourth and just 0.140 seconds slower. Charles Leclerc remained firmly in contention during SQ2, finishing third and only 0.164 seconds behind Oscar Piastri.
The decisive change came when the Soft tyres were fitted for SQ3. Charles Leclerc still produced an excellent lap and missed pole by only 0.055 seconds, but Lewis Hamilton was unable to maintain the same level of competitiveness. The seven-time world champion fell to seventh, ending the session 0.624 seconds behind George Russell.
It was a significant gap considering how close Lewis Hamilton had been to the leading drivers during the opening two parts of Sprint Qualifying. Ferrari therefore left SQ3 with contrasting outcomes: Charles Leclerc secured a place on the second row and came extremely close to pole, while Lewis Hamilton will have considerably more ground to recover from seventh.
Ferrari’s SF-26 pace offers encouragement for Saturday’s Sprint
Ferrari can nevertheless approach Saturday’s Sprint with genuine interest. Both SF-26 cars had completed FP1 using the previous floor specification despite the new SF-26 upgrade package brought to Zandvoort, yet the cars still demonstrated enough speed to compete close to Mercedes and McLaren.
The final qualifying margins also suggest that small differences in execution could have a major impact in the Sprint. Charles Leclerc will start directly behind George Russell and Lando Norris, while Lewis Hamilton will line up several positions further back and face a more difficult route towards the leading group.
Max Verstappen only sixth as Liam Lawson exits in SQ2
Behind the leading five, Max Verstappen’s complicated home weekend continued. The Red Bull driver could manage only sixth place at Zandvoort, finishing more than half a second away from pole in front of his home supporters.
Liam Lawson endured an even more difficult session. Replacing the injured Isack Hadjar, the New Zealander was eliminated in SQ2 after being beaten by Arvid Lindblad, whose Racing Bulls progressed into the top ten. Liam Lawson at least finished 0.009 seconds ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who was also eliminated in SQ2.
George Russell will therefore lead the field away in Saturday’s Sprint, but the short race appears wide open given how closely matched the leading contenders were in qualifying. Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari both missed opportunities when the session reached its decisive stage, yet the pace shown throughout Friday suggests they should still have the speed to fight back when racing begins.
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