Max Verstappen pulled out a stunning qualification lap to take pole position for the 2021 F1 Dutch Grand Prix ahead of title rival Lewis Hamilton, who was just 0.038s behind the Red Bull driver. A dominant Saturday from the Dutchman saw him top he timesheets in Practice 3, as well as Q1, Q2 and of course Q3 which gives him the edge over the Mercedes driver.
Q2 saw two red flags after both Williams drivers – George Russell and Nicholas Latifi – crashing into the barriers. First Russell flew across the gravel at Turn 13, then when the session was restarted Latifi lost it at Turn 8 resulting in Q2 being abandoned. As a result, Lando Norris was knocked out along with Lance Stroll.
Roberto Kubica replaced Kimi Raikkonen in the Alfa Romeo after the Finn tested positive for COVID-19. But the biggest surprise of the Q1 was Red Bull driver Sergio Perez who was caught out by track evolution and qualified 16th after he failed to cross the start-finish line in time for one final run.
Full 2021 Dutch GP Qualifying Results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:08.885 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +0.038 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | +0.337 |
| 4 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | +0.593 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.642 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +0.652 |
| 7 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | +0.705 |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.048 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | +1.071 |
| 10 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | +1.281 |
| 11 | George Russell | Williams | Eliminated Q2 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Eliminated Q2 |
| 13 | Lando Norris | McLaren | Eliminated Q2 |
| 14 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | Eliminated Q2 |
| 15 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | Eliminated Q2 |
| 16 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | Eliminated Q1 |
| 17 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | Eliminated Q1 |
| 18 | Robert Kubica | Alfa Romeo | Eliminated Q1 |
| 19 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | Eliminated Q1 |
| 20 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas | Eliminated Q1 |
