George Russell emerged as the fastest driver in FP2 at the Dutch Grand Prix, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.061 seconds as Mercedes continued their strong form from before the summer break. Russell set his best time of 1:10.702 halfway through the session, which was held under dry conditions despite earlier rain at Zandvoort.
With FP3 expected to be wet and qualifying likely to feature mixed conditions, teams were eager to maximize their dry running in FP2. Russell’s performance, combined with Mercedes’ recent race pace, positions the team as a serious contender for Sunday’s race. Teammate Lewis Hamilton was not far behind, finishing third, just 0.111 seconds off Russell’s time.
Lando Norris, who topped FP1, finished fourth, indicating that McLaren will once again be in the mix. Max Verstappen, the home favorite and three-time winner at Zandvoort, was fifth fastest, suggesting that his path to victory might be more challenging this year.
The top 10 was rounded out by Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Kevin Magnussen, Charles Leclerc, and Alex Albon. However, it was a tough session for Carlos Sainz, who suffered a gearbox issue that cut his running short with over 30 minutes remaining. With FP3 expected to be wet, Sainz could face a difficult challenge heading into qualifying without any soft tire data.
The session was not without incidents, as several drivers struggled with the tricky conditions. Russell himself had a close call, ending up in the gravel at Turn 8, while Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg also had off-track excursions. Hulkenberg’s crash at Turn 1, which resulted from a lock-up and spin, brought out a brief red flag as officials cleared the debris.
With mixed weather expected for the rest of the weekend, the stage is set for an unpredictable Dutch Grand Prix, where strategy and adaptability could play decisive roles in determining the outcome.
Photo from Mercedes Instagram
