McLaren’s Lando Norris boldly brought some vigour to the fight for pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix only for Max Verstappen to reassert himself for his home race with disarming ease. The hordes of orange-clad fans had expected nothing else but briefly it was the papaya-liveried McLaren that threatened an upset at Zandvoort until Verstappen delivered another utterly dominant lap for pole, prompting Norris to observe with a tinge of resignation that the world champion was on another level.
After opening on a wet track, by the final session the sun had emerged above the sand dunes and a clear dry line called for slick tyres. Having seen off the worst conditions, it was a straight head to head on this challenging track. Norris set the initial pace on the first hot runs, with 1min 12.049sec that Verstappen could not match on his opening quick lap.
