Welcome to Total-Motorsport’s live F1 coverage of the Dutch GP 2024 FP1 session as we return to Formula 1 action after the summer break.
The Zandvoort Circuit, nestled along the Dutch coastline, presents a unique challenge with its high downforce demands and short lap distance, making it the second shortest circuit on the calendar after Monaco. The race will consist of 72 laps, the second-longest race distance of the season, which will test the drivers’ endurance and precision.
The Dutch GP holds a special significance for reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who will make his 200th Grand Prix start this weekend. Verstappen, who has won all three Dutch Grand Prix held at Zandvoort since 2021, is expected to have strong support from the “Orange Army,” his passionate home crowd.
The circuit also features a reduced pit lane speed limit of 60 km/h, shared only with Monaco and Singapore, adding to the strategic complexity of the race. Notably, this track remains one of only three on the 2024 calendar where Lewis Hamilton has yet to claim victory, alongside Miami and Las Vegas.
Make sure and join us LIVE for Dutch Grand Prix Free Practice 2 session, coming up at 3pm UK time, which is 10am for those on the US East Coast, and 7am for those on the West Coast.
2024 Dutch GP FP1 – Latest News and Updates
Follow along for all the news and latest updates from Zandvoort as Free Practice 1 at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix gets underway.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
Report: McLaren on top as Lando Norris and Max Verstappen trade blows
Lando Norris finished two-tenths ahead of Max Verstappen in FP1 of the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix as both drivers improved with their final laps to immediately restart their battle at the front of F1 after the summer break.
A slow-burner of a session ignited in the final quarter after torrential rain and high winds had pummelled Zandvoort and the North Sea coast on Friday morning, meaning most of the running over the session was done on wet and intermediate tyres.
However, the final 15-minute sprint sets the stage beautifully for the rest of the Dutch GP weekend as Mercedes and McLaren traded blows throughout.
They seemed set to lock out the top four but Verstappen’s late-late show – after spinning on his first outing – disrupted that as he finished two-tenths behind Norris with Verstappen almost half a second back in third.
Carlos Sainz and George Russell rounded out the top five, both over 0.750 seconds behind Norris. Alex Albon finished an impressive sixth and Haas overcame early problems, with Nico Hulkenberg forced to take the escape road at turn one on consecutive laps, to land both drivers in the top 10.
Dutch GP FP1 Results:
And here’s the full rundown of how they finished in FP1:
An appetiser?
Hmm ok Norris we see you! They’re the only drivers who look in contention for the drivers’ title and the first shot after the break has just been fired!
Verstappen took P1 after spending the entire session outside the top five, but only for a second or two as Norris then shaved another two-tenths off that time and he finished the session first!
CHEQUERED FLAG
There’s still time for improvements though – Hamilton nudged above Russell just five seconds ago.
Albon?!?
The Red Bulls haven’t made the expected leap up the order but Alex Albon has gone third! He’s barely featured this session but has pumped in a quality time when it mattered (and apparently Williams’ Twitter account is as surprised as we are), three-tenths off Norris who’s gone back to the top.
Hell-for-leather finish
It’s hard to keep up right now – Piastri and Russell have pushed Norris down but the Red Bulls are yet to truly flex their muscles, it’s set to be a bonkers final five minutes…
Who’s got the nerve?
Norris smashes his fastest time by three seconds, but Russell and Piastri opt for a more cautious build-up. Almost the entire grid is now out on the softs, except Ferrari who’ve picked the mediums.
Making the leap
McLaren are the first to head out on the soft tyres, and it looks like Mercedes and Ferrari will follow suit imminently. Stay posted…
15 mins to go: How they stand
Get ready for a major shakeup of these timesheets… But this is how they stand for now:
- Lando Norris – 1:20.392
- George Russell +0.052
- Robert Shwartzman +0.465
- Max Verstappen +0.908
- Carlos Sainz +0.928
- Esteban Ocon +0.952
- Daniel Ricciardo +1.273
- Yuki Tsunoda +1.578
- Pierre Gasly +1.644
- Nico Hulkenberg +1.772
Unleash the slicks
Why are dry tyres called slicks, when slicks usually means slippery and/or wet? No idea, it’s one of F1’s many mysteries, but we should see some times set on dry rubber before the end of the session…
Two more turn 1 casualties!
This time it’s Gasly – the first driver on track today – who sheepishly bounces to the escape road before Carlos Sainz follows him seconds later.
If you’d read our weather report earlier in the week you’d know why turn one is causing the most problems too…
It’s hotting up
Mercedes had rocketed to the top through George Russell – purple in every sector and nearly a second quicker than Verstappen – but Norris has just inched ahead by five-hundredths.
A dry line is starting to appear on the banked final corner too…
Verstappen spins!
He hits the front on intermediate tyres, almost five seconds ahead of Leclerc, but then pirouettes to show just how treacherous these conditions are!
You don’t often see mistakes like that from Verstappen… But you’ve seen them more this season when the pressure’s been on.
30 mins to go: How they stand
As Verstappen heads out, we’ve still only got five times set despite a recent flurry:
- Charles Leclerc – 1:26.111
- Nico Hulkenberg +0.131
- George Russell +0.185
- Zhou Guanyu +2.226
- Robert Shwartzman +3.635
Blue skies appear!
The good thing about being this close to the seaside is sandcastles… But another good thing is that weather can change rapidly and the sun has come out to help dry up the track. It still looks pretty windy but we should be in for a better second half of the session.
Into the gravel x2
This is bizarre from Hulkenberg. He’s run off at turn one in consecutive laps as the front-right tyre grabs, but does finally set a time at 1.5 seconds behind Leclerc.
Unleash the Leclerc
He’s lighting up the timing screens for Ferrari on the wet rubber, and Leclerc goes to the top of the timesheets with three purple sectors and a time of 1:26.111.
He’s also last on the timesheets though as the only driver to have set a competitive time, 16 seconds slower than Max Verstappen’s pole lap last season.
Scores on the doors
There’s no scores on the doors with 10 minutes gone. The rain has stopped coming down over Zandvoort but no driver has set a serious time, including Robert Shwartzman who’s taking charge of Valtteri Bottas’ C44 this morning and has been out onto the track.
Into the gravel!
Nico Hulkenberg took his eyes off the track for a second to change something on his Haas steering wheel and that cost him, sending him into the gravel at turn 10 as Gasly is asked for an update on the conditions:
“It’s pretty wild with the wind”
Alpine head out
Pierre Gasly is the first man on track after his team’s expert meteorologists noticed the precipation earlier. Kevin Magnussen joins him on track but only momentarily.
We are go go go!
In theory at least. No cars are heading out of the garage or even look remotely ready – George Russell’s W15 still has hard tyres on and most other drivers are watching the screens.
T-5 minutes
Not long to go before a wet and windy FP1 gets underway! Who will lay down the first marker of the second part of the season?
How it stands:
If it has been 4 weeks since you last looked at the championship table, here’s the drivers’ standings:
- Max Verstappen – 277
- Lando Norris – 199
- Charles Leclerc – 177
- Oscar Piastri – 167
- Carlos Sainz – 162
- Lewis Hamilton – 150
- Sergio Perez – 131
- George Russell – 116
- Fernando Alonso – 49
- Lance Stroll – 24
- Nico Hulkenberg – 22
- Yuki Tsunoda – 22
- Daniel Ricciardo – 12
- Oliver Bearman – 6
- Pierre Gasly – 6
- Kevin Magnussen – 5
- Esteban Ocon – 5
- Alex Albon – 4
- Zhou Guanyu – 0
- Logan Sargeant – 0
- Valtteri Bottas – 0
Wet ‘n’ wild return
And it looks set to be a soggy and windy restart on the North Sea coast. That means we may not be in for too much action this morning but qualifying also looks likely to be wet so teams must get on top of these conditions sooner or later.
Alpine have their guy
But the first order of business is off-track with the news that Jack Doohan will be a full-time F1 driver in 2025! He replaces Esteban Ocon at Alpine, after racking up plenty of testing experience in F1 machinery.
Hello and welcome
And welcome back to F1! Track action for the Dutch GP will get underway in just 30 minutes after a long summer break, if the next 10 races are anything like the last nine we should be in for one hell of a finish to the season.
Pirelli tyre compounds for 2024 Dutch GP
Where to watch F1 2024 Dutch GP?
For F1 fans in the UK, Sky Sports F1 is the go to place for all the Formula 1 action with coverage of every Dutch GP session live, including all three practice sessions, Qualifying and the race on Sunday.
US F1 fans can catch all the action from Zandvoort across ESPN, with the race live on ESPN on Sunday morning ET.
