Antonelli tops Zandvoort practice after spin
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 21, 2026
Antonelli pace
Kimi Antonelli set the pace in the only practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, and he did it after a spin at Turn 10 that caused no damage. The lap that stood up was 1m12.949s, which left him 0.121 seconds clear of Lando Norris. George Russell was third, Lewis Hamilton fourth, Charles Leclerc fifth and Oscar Piastri sixth. Those five drivers sat within less than three-tenths of a second, a tight spread that showed how little room the front of the field found once the track started to improve. Antonelli’s time gave him the edge when the session mattered most, during the final push to the checkered flag. He had already lost momentum with the spin, but he recovered quickly and held the top spot as the lap times settled. The result put him on top of a session that stayed close from first to sixth and left no room for a lazy lap.
Damp track
The session began in damp conditions, so drivers started on intermediate tires before switching to slicks as the surface dried. The track never stayed still for long. Grip changed lap by lap, and the order kept changing during the final qualifying simulations as conditions improved. Drivers who found the right window could jump the timing sheet, then watch the field reshuffle again on the next run. That made the closing minutes the most useful part of the hour, with the best laps coming after the circuit shed enough moisture for the slicks to work. Antonelli’s fastest lap came in that stretch, when the drying line opened up across Zandvoort and the margin for error stayed thin. The spin at Turn 10 could have cost him more if he had clipped the barriers or picked up damage. He avoided both and stayed in the fight. The changing surface kept pressure on every driver, and the final runs rewarded those who found clean lines as the grip came up.
Sprint weekend
This was the only practice session of the sprint weekend, so teams had one chance to prepare for Sprint Qualifying. Audi left with two cars in the top 10, Nico Hülkenberg seventh and Gabriel Bortoleto ninth. Max Verstappen finished 11th after a gravel excursion and reported understeer on soft tires. Carlos Sainz ended last after multiple trips into the gravel and floor damage. The session delivered a clear split between the front-runners and the drivers who fought the track more than the clock. Antonelli, Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc and Piastri formed the leading group, while the rest of the top 10 settled in behind them as the surface improved. The timing sheet kept moving through the final simulations, and the last runs mattered most because there was no second practice session to follow. Teams had to leave with enough data to carry them into Sprint Qualifying, and the session gave them a first look at how Zandvoort would respond once the damp opening gave way to slick-speed laps.
