Lando Norris has done it again. The McLaren driver claimed pole position for Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix, marking his second consecutive front-row start of the 2026 season. The Briton put together a brilliant performance in Q3 to edge out George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, setting up what should be a cracking battle at Zandvoort this weekend. Norris was quick from the start and managed to nail his final lap before the rain threat closed in, securing the top spot with a time of 1:11.163.

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What really grabbed attention in qualifying was the performance of Liam Lawson. The Red Bull substitute driver, filling in for the squad, showed serious pace against his temporary teammate Max Verstappen. Lawson qualified eighth and was just over a tenth away from Verstappen's seventh place finish, a genuinely impressive showing given he's only just stepped into the seat. The New Zealander proved he belongs in the top machinery and gave the team plenty to think about heading into Sunday.

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The session itself was intense, with track evolution playing a massive role after rain had soaked the circuit between the Sprint race and qualifying. By the time the grid got going, the sun had done its job and everyone was on soft tyres from the word go. Oscar Piastri set the early pace in both Q1 and Q2, but ultimately couldn't quite find the speed Norris had when it counted in the final session. Russell's second place shows Mercedes are still very much in the title fight, while Antonelli's third demonstrates why he's been leading the championship battle.

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The rest of the grid sorted itself out as you'd expect, with Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth in his Ferrari and Charles Leclerc sixth. The midfield squeeze meant several familiar names missed out on Q2, including both Alpine drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon. With rain having threatened throughout qualifying, there's genuine uncertainty heading into Sunday about what conditions will deliver and how it might shake up this final Zandvoort race on the calendar.

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