The sun may have been shining but the blustery winds barrelling in over the dunes on the edge of the North Sea delivered a buffeting that might just have been enough to play a decisive factor in the absolutely minuscule margins in qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix that divide the two Formula One title protagonists this season. It was Oscar Piastri who took a slender advantage over his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, in what remains an absolutely nip-and-tuck contest as the title run-in begins.
Max Verstappen in the Red Bull did his best to push the McLaren duo but really this was another startling demonstration of their complete stranglehold on the season. The pair have been on top all weekend, with Norris quickest in all three practice sessions. When it mattered, though, it was Piastri who had the edge, pipping his teammate to pole by 12 thousandths of a second, barely a breath between them.
