Antonelli sets the fastest time in free practice for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix

Young Italian Kimi Antonelli, a Mercedes driver, recorded the fastest time in the only free practice session, Friday, for the “Netherlands Grand Prix” in the Formula 1 World Championship, narrowly beating British champion Lando Norris, who came in second.

Antonelli, who is 19 years old and leads the overall standings by 50 points over his nearest competitor, covered the distance in one minute and 12.949 seconds, 0.121 seconds ahead of McLaren driver Norris.

Despite heavy rain falling several times on the circuit located on the North Sea, the track remained dry during the session, but the presence of wet areas and strong winds made driving conditions difficult.

Antonelli did not spare himself from the difficult circumstances, as he lost control of his car, which spun around during one of the laps, before he said via the team’s communication device: “I don’t know what the hell happened.”

His Mercedes colleague, Briton George Russell, finished third in the fastest times, ahead of the Ferrari duo, Briton Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from Monaco.

Later Friday, drivers will compete for starting positions in the Sprint race, scheduled for Saturday.

The Dutch Grand Prix, the first after the summer break, comes amid indications that the World Championship struggle will be intense until the end of the season.

Antonelli, who will celebrate his 20th birthday next week, has a 50-point lead over his closest competitor, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Antonelli and Mercedes imposed their dominance over the first half of the season, as the young driver won 6 out of 11 races, including 5 consecutive victories.

But competitors began closing the gap after successfully updating their cars, while Mercedes admitted that it was “out of sync” in terms of developing its improvement package.

McLaren hopes to build on its win in the last race before the summer break, when Norris took his first victory of the season.

The McLaren team has a strong record at the Zandvoort circuit, after Australian Oscar Piastri won the 2025 race, while Norris won the previous year's race.

The Ferrari team, in turn, showed signs of its ability to compete at the front, while Hamilton confirmed that he is in the best physical condition he has ever reached, after spending the summer vacation in intense training in the gym.

Dutchman Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver, cannot be excluded, who recently extended his contract with the team until 2030.

Verstappen's fans, who will flood the stands with their orange T-shirts, will hope that he will fulfill his promises to give them a "special farewell" in the last race hosted by Zandvoort.

The Dutch coastal city will not be included in the World Championship calendar starting next season, after the race organizers decided to end its hosting.