Kimi Antonelli wasted no time reminding Formula 1 why he leads the championship as the Mercedes driver emerged fastest from a frantic opening practice session at Zandvoort.
The Italian set a 1m12.949s late in the hour to edge reigning World Champion Lando Norris by just 0.121 seconds, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton completing a Mercedes-Ferrari-McLaren top four.
With the Dutch Grand Prix marking Zandvoort’s final F1 appearance, the session delivered a typically unpredictable farewell.
A rapidly changing Zandvoort
The one-hour practice began on a damp circuit, prompting most drivers to venture out on intermediate tyres. But the drying surface quickly rendered them obsolete, with Nico Hulkenberg among those calling for slicks almost immediately.
Oscar Piastri was the first to switch to mediums, setting a 1m23.311s before rapidly lowering the benchmark to 1m20.480s. As grip improved, Antonelli embarked on an equally dramatic charge, recording 1m18.264s, 1m16.112s and 1m15.531s on his first three laps.
The lead changed hands repeatedly as Hamilton, Russell and Charles Leclerc all moved to the front. Antonelli also had a moment at Turn 10, spinning his Mercedes through 360 degrees.
“I don’t know what the heck happened there,” he reported over team radio.
Soft tyres turn up the heat
The competitive order became clearer when the soft-tyre runs began with 10 minutes remaining. Piastri initially lowered Leclerc’s medium-tyre benchmark of 1m14.146s with a 1m13.608s, only for Leclerc to reclaim first place before Hamilton moved Ferrari back to the summit with a 1m13.139s.
Norris then produced a 1m13.105s with five minutes remaining, but Antonelli responded decisively, going 0.156s quicker to seize top spot.
Russell made a late charge of his own, posting 1m13.074s to jump ahead of Hamilton and finish third, just 0.125s behind his team-mate. Leclerc completed the top five, while Piastri ended sixth and 0.659s off the pace.
Hulkenberg produced one of the session’s standout performances, putting his Audi seventh on medium tyres with a 1m13.784s. Pierre Gasly split Audi’s two drivers in eighth, with Gabriel Bortoleto ninth and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.
It was a difficult start for Red Bull. Max Verstappen managed only 11th and complained of downshift issues and oversteer before running wide at the final corner. Liam Lawson, drafted in as Isack Hadjar’s replacement, was 14th.
With the championship leader setting the pace and the front three teams once again dominating the top six, the stage is now set for a much sharper test.
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