Max P11 in Opening Practice at Zandvoort

Published on 21 August 2026 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen finished Free Practice 1 in eleventh place ahead of what is, for now, the final Dutch Grand Prix. Around the 4.252-kilometre circuit winding through the Zandvoort dunes, Kimi Antonelli went fastest in his Mercedes, ahead of Lando Norris' McLaren in second. George Russell made it third in the other Mercedes, ahead of the two Ferraris locking out the top five. Max’s new Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate for the weekend, Liam Lawson, clocked the fourteenth quickest time.

At the start of FP1, conditions were dry overhead, though the track remained damp in patches. Dark clouds were also looming over the circuit, threatening further showers, with a 60% chance of rain forecast for the session.

Prior to this first, and sole, practice session of the weekend, it was announced that Isack Hadjar would be sitting out the event due to a wrist injury sustained during training earlier in the week. He is deputised by Liam Lawson, with the New Zealander’s seat at Racing Bulls subsequently filled by Yuki Tsunoda.

When the pit-exit light went green, Nico Hülkenberg was first out on track in his Audi, quickly followed by Kimi Antonelli. Both headed out on the intermediate compound, with Hülkenberg setting the initial benchmark. Running on the green-walled tyres proved brief as the circuit dried rapidly. Oscar Piastri was the first driver to roll the dice on slick tyres, with the Australian immediately leaping to the top of the timesheets.

Just over twelve minutes into the session, Max made his entrance. His Red Bull was fitted with a set of hard tyres and coated in flow-vis paint to map the aerodynamic airflow over the bodywork. The Dutchman is sporting a bespoke lid this weekend for this final running of the Dutch GP. Max commented: "I will be racing with my special helmet this weekend, with a design inspired by the famous Delft Blue pottery. It is a truly traditional, gorgeous pattern and something particularly unique for the final race. The helmet is a tribute to the Dutch fans for their unwavering support over the years, so we are hoping to do them proud this weekend."

 
Max, alongside teammate Lawson, was committed to a longer high-fuel run on the hard tyre, consistently chipping away at his personal best and climbing to P5, just behind drivers who had all posted their laps on the medium compound.

By the halfway mark, the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were leading the way ahead of the Mercedes duo of Antonelli and Russell. Max sat fifth as he pitted for adjustments.

Through the second half of the session, Max persisted with the same set of hard tyres. After an excursion through the gravel trap, he took to the team radio to question why the car was suddenly snapping into oversteer. Having slipped to P7, he peeled into the pit lane for a quick once-over and a fresh set of soft tyres. However, he struggled to find immediate pace on the red-walled rubber; with Leclerc topping the boards, Max remained down in P7, nearly a second adrift of the Monegasque driver, before heading back to the garage shortly after.

In the dying minutes, Max ventured back out for one final run, this time sporting a revised front-wing spec. Down in P11, he pushed to improve his standing, but was unable to find more time before the chequered flag dropped, bringing the session to a close.

Scale-model replicas of the special Delft Blue 2026 Dutch GP helmet are available via Verstappen.com.

Results first free practice Netherlands: