First Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Dutch F1 Grand Prix

Event: Dutch Grand Prix
Track: Circuit Zandvoort

Weather: dry  21°C
Tarmac: dry  29°C
Humidity : 51%
Wind : 11.8 km/h South-West
Pressure: 998 mb

Norris Strikes First in Chaotic FP1 at Zandvoort

A Dutch opener packed with drama

Round 15 of the 2025 Formula 1 season kicked off at Zandvoort with an opening practice session that had everything: spins, gravel-traps, red flags, and a surprise name at the top of the timesheets. While Oscar Piastri arrived in the Netherlands with a slender nine-point championship lead, it was his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris who set the early benchmark on a gusty, sun-splashed North Sea coast.

Norris lays down a marker

Norris carried his strong Hungary momentum straight into FP1, delivering a blistering 1m10.278s on the soft tyres. That lap left Piastri three-tenths adrift and gave the Brit the psychological edge heading into the rest of the weekend. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll impressed in third, just half a second down, hinting that the green cars might be a factor here again after their strong Budapest showing.

Trouble from the outset

It didn’t take long for the drama to unfold. Kimi Antonelli, eager to build mileage on one of F1’s trickiest old-school circuits, slid wide with understeer and buried his Mercedes in the gravel at Turn 9. Just six laps completed, and the rookie’s session was over. Red flags flew, and the Italian was left watching on while rivals collected valuable laps ahead of a potentially wet Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton also had an early spin at the banked Turn 3, pirouetting his Ferrari through a full 360 degrees. “Flat spots all round,” he grumbled on the radio. It was a tough start for the Scuderia, with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc languishing outside the top ten as Ferrari struggled for grip and balance.

Verstappen’s rare mishap

The home crowd, a sea of orange, had plenty to cheer as Max Verstappen hit the track, but the reigning world champion gave them a shock right at the end of the session. After the chequered flag, Verstappen locked up into Turn 1 during a practice start and ploughed straight through the gravel. The Red Bull RB21 ended up stranded, rear wheels deep in the sand, and the fans fell silent for a moment before laughing off the rare mistake from their hero.

Earlier, George Russell had his own scare, skimming across the gravel but just managing to keep his Mercedes rolling onto the escape road. Yuki Tsunoda wasn’t as lucky, the Japanese driver spun twice and at one point trundled back to the pits with heavily flat-spotted tyres.

Midfield surprises and tight margins

Behind the McLaren duo, Aston Martin looked lively. Fernando Alonso slotted into fourth and Stroll into third, both drivers relishing Zandvoort’s flowing, high-load corners. Williams also showed well, with Alex Albon sneaking inside the top five, less than a second away from Norris.

Despite Zandvoort’s short layout, only four cars ended within a second of the fastest time, Norris, Piastri, Alonso, and Albon. That left Verstappen down in fifth, nearly a second back, while Ferrari’s struggles kept them mired in the midfield.

A storm on the horizon

If FP1 was messy, FP2 threatens to be even more unpredictable. Heavy rain is forecast to sweep over the Dutch dunes later in the afternoon, meaning the data gathered this morning could prove decisive for race strategy. For Antonelli, who sat out almost the entire session, that missed track time could be costly.

As it stands, Norris is the man to beat. Piastri remains close, Verstappen will be desperate to regroup on home soil, and Aston Martin look ready to spring a surprise. With the title fight finely poised and the Dutch weather set to play games, the rest of the weekend is shaping up beautifully.

FP1 Times Table 2025 Dutch GP

1:12,322 min was the fastest lap time of last year's (dry) FP1 in Zandvoort. It was also clocked by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL38.

The fastest sector times on Zandvoort during this FP1 were:

• Sector 1: 24.039 sec. by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL39.
• Sector 2: 24.878 sec. Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.
• Sector 3: 21.246 sec. Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.

✅ Don't forget to check out our 2025 Dutch F1 Grand Prix preview info.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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