Max P6 in Zandvoort FP1

Published on 29 August 2025 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen opened his Dutch Grand Prix weekend with a sixth place in the first Friday practice session. McLaren set the pace, with Lando Norris lapping the Zandvoort circuit quickest ahead of teammate Oscar Piasti. Lance Stroll completed the top three in his Aston Martin.

In the opening third of FP1, the two McLarens and Aston Martins already showed their potential speed together with Max in the Oracle Racing Red Bull.

Ten minutes in, the session is briefly red flagged; Kimi Antonelli has gone off in turn nine and has beached his Mercedes. With 42 minutes on the clock, the session is resumed with Max at the top of the timing sheets followed by the Williams of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.

At the halfway mark, Nico Hülkenberg is the first driver to head out on the soft Pirelli compound. As the other drivers follow the Sauber driver’s example, the lap times start to drop with the McLarens setting the pace.

Meanwhile, Max is in the garage with the mechanics working hard on the RB21. When the Dutchman steers out of the garage on his first new sets of softs, he has dropped to P14. The Red Bull racer uses the extra grip of the red side-walled Pirellis to go fifth quickest, before switching back to the medium compound for race simulations.

At the end of the session, the McLarens have maintained their advantage in first and second place. The Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso are the surprising names in the top five with Stroll in third and Alonso in fourth.

The sessions ends in a peculiar way for Max. After completing a practice start on the main straight, the reigning champ out brakes himself into Tarzan, beaching his car into the gravel traps, narrowly avoiding the tyre barriers. The RB21 is not damaged so Max’s FP2 participation is not under threat.

Contest Dutch GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing 2025 cap!

Results first free practice Netherlands: