Norris beats Verstappen to Dutch GP pole position

Lando Norris became nan first personification to hit Max Verstappen to rod position astatine nan Dutch Grand Prix pinch a stunning thigh successful his McLaren.

Verstappen has monopolised this title since it returned to nan almanac successful 2021 aft a 36-year spread but Norris hit him by 0.356 seconds.

Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri was third, 0.499secs slower than nan Briton, pinch Mercedes’ George Russell fourth.

Lewis Hamilton was knocked retired successful nan 2nd convention and will commencement 12th aft a correction astatine nan penultimate area connected his last lap.

The seven-time champion besides faces a stewards’ investigation into whether nan impeded Red Bull’s Sergio Perez successful nan first convention of qualifying.

Norris, connected a beardown tally of shape but still seeking a 2nd triumph to adhd to his maiden triumph successful Miami backmost successful May, said: “An astonishing day, bully to beryllium backmost and commencement pinch a pole.

“It was a bully lap. The qualifying was ever beautiful soft and put successful immoderate bully laps particularly nan 1 astatine nan end.

“I felt comfortable. The car was emotion amazing. We person immoderate upgrades connected nan car for nan first clip successful a while and everything is moving well.”

Verstappen, who has ne'er been beaten successful a expansive prix astatine Zandvoort but has not won since nan Spanish Grand Prix six races ago, said: “The full qualifying (we) conscionable lacked a spot of pace. I’m still very happy to beryllium connected nan beforehand row.

“We person these gusts of upwind coming successful each thigh is different truthful you can’t build.

“But aft yesterday this is simply a bully result. Hopefully nan car will beryllium OK successful nan race. We will springiness it a bully spell but erstwhile you are much than 0.3secs down successful qualifying you person to beryllium realistic.”

Piastri said: “Just didn’t do a bully capable occupation pinch nan lap. The 2nd thigh wasn’t rather what I needed. The car has been very speedy this play truthful a spot disappointed.”

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was fifth, 0.387secs slower than team-mate Verstappen aft immoderate driver-coaching astatine Silverstone this week arsenic portion of Red Bull’s attempts to amended his form.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took sixth up of an awesome showing from Fernando Alonso successful seventh successful nan Aston Martin.

Alex Albon was eighth fastest successful nan upgraded Williams, but he is nan taxable of a stewards' investigation aft nan level connected his car was recovered to beryllium "outside nan regulatory volume". The British-born Thai faces a apt disqualification from qualifying.

Norris had looked nan favourite for rod ever since making a beardown belief successful Friday believe and he delivered successful style.

The McLaren has not been upgraded since nan Miami developments that turned it successful a front-runner overnight aft starting nan play down Red Bull and Ferrari.

This upgrade introduced for nan commencement of nan 2nd portion of nan play is not arsenic large arsenic nan Miami 1 but Piastri said it was “doing what we expected” and it enabled Norris to predominate connected a way that truthful acold Verstappen has efficaciously owned.

Norris came into nan play admitting he had not been driving astatine nan level of a world champion truthful acold this play and had been making excessively galore mistakes.

And he will beryllium wished to notch up a 2nd triumph to backmost up his declare that he still has a chance of closing nan 78-point lead Verstappen has successful nan championship.

Mercedes had looked speedy connected Friday but their car was not rather connected nan gait erstwhile it mattered successful qualifying and Russell ended up 0.571secs disconnected pole.

Even so, Hamilton should person joined his team-mate successful nan apical 10 shoot-out and was connected people to do connected his last thigh earlier a threat astatine nan rear connected nan exit of Turn 13 costs him clip each nan measurement to nan statement and he grounded to advancement done by 0.103secs.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, his play compromised by a gearbox nonaccomplishment that restricted him to conscionable 7 laps successful nan only barren believe session, joined him extracurricular nan apical 10 aft fighting nan rear extremity of his car passim qualifying.

“I made a correction successful nan past area and mislaid astir 0.1secs and that put maine retired of Q3 but moreover past I wasn’t accelerated capable conscionable successful general.

"I struggled successful nan mediate assemblage pinch nan car being very oversteer-y and that’s wherever I mislaid astir of my time, but besides successful nan past sector.

“Now each I tin do is effort to do my champion but I don’t expect it to beryllium a awesome race.”