Antonelli Leads Norris in Dutch GP First Practice
· Sports · BBC Sport, The Race, ESPN
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the pace in the first practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing 0.121 seconds clear of McLaren's Lando Norris. Championship leader Antonelli led a tight top three, with Mercedes team-mate George Russell just 0.004 seconds behind Norris in third. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton placed fourth, 0.190 seconds off the pace, followed by team-mate Charles Leclerc and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri in the top six. Further down the grid, Max Verstappen managed only 11th fastest for Red Bull, while team-mate Liam Lawson took 14th after stepping in for Isack Hadjar, who broke his wrist boxing. Meanwhile, Aston Martin debuted a new Honda engine with Fernando Alonso finishing 12th, indicating potential performance gains for the team.
Why it matters
This opening practice session sets the competitive baseline for the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, offering early indications of upgrade performance across Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin as the championship battle resumes following the summer break.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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