Packed grandstands, international acclaim and a Dutch podium in F1 ACADEMY on penultimate day of FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX
ZANDVOORT – Lando Norris will start the final-ever FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX from pole position. The McLaren driver set the fastest time in Saturday’s qualifying session in front of a capacity crowd at Circuit Zandvoort, beating George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen will start his final home race from seventh on the grid.
The crowd once again turned orange on Saturday. From early in the morning, the grandstands were packed for a sporting programme featuring the first F1® Sprint in Zandvoort’s history, qualifying for the Grand Prix and the F1 ACADEMY Reverse Grid Race.
Norris beats Russell in battle for pole position
Norris set a time of 1:11.163 in the decisive phase of qualifying. Russell finished just 0.102 seconds behind in his Mercedes and will line up alongside Norris on the front row on Sunday. Antonelli took third, only 0.133 seconds off pole position.
Oscar Piastri qualified fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen set the seventh-fastest time and will share the fourth row with his Red Bull teammate Liam Lawson. Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten.
Earlier on Saturday, Russell claimed victory in the first F1 Sprint® at Circuit Zandvoort. The Brit converted pole position into the win, finishing ahead of Leclerc and Norris. Antonelli took fourth, followed by Piastri. Verstappen crossed the line in sixth, while Hamilton and Pierre Gasly secured the remaining points.
Dutch podium in F1 ACADEMY
F1 ACADEMY also delivered plenty of action on Saturday. American driver Payton Westcott converted pole position into her maiden victory in the series. She retained the lead at the start and through two Safety Car periods, while also setting the fastest lap.
Denmark’s Alba Larsen finished second. Nina Gademan delighted the Dutch home crowd by taking third place and securing a podium finish. Fellow Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman finished fourth, scoring her first points of the season. This meant two Dutch drivers finished inside the top four.
“It’s incredible. I’m so relieved to have won an F1 ACADEMY race. More than anything, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it,” Westcott said afterwards.
The Feature Race will take place on Sunday at 10:30. Championship leader Alisha Palmowski will start from pole position.
International Formula 1 community full of praise for Zandvoort
Images of the packed grandstands, the fan stage and the sea of orange reached millions of Formula 1 followers around the world on Saturday. The official Formula 1 account wrote:
“The Zandvoort fans always create an unforgettable atmosphere.”
Teams and drivers also spoke warmly about the event throughout the week. Audi Revolut F1 Team described the atmosphere created by the enthusiastic crowd as an “unrivalled electric atmosphere”.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff said the fans create an incredible atmosphere and that Zandvoort has developed into a race that teams and drivers look forward to.
Norris described the Dutch fans as “crazy, in a good way”. According to the McLaren driver, they make a great deal of noise, mainly want to enjoy a fantastic weekend and give the race its special atmosphere.
“When you drive through the corners and see all those fans, it always puts a smile on your face.”
Davina Michelle: “Wear orange!”
In a video message on Saturday 22 August, Davina Michelle called on all visitors to wear orange when they come to Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday. The singer will perform the Dutch national anthem ahead of the final-ever FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN DUTCH GRAND PRIX.
During her soundcheck on Saturday evening, she said in the video: “Hey, I’m finally at the circuit and tomorrow is the big day. I’m really, really, really excited. And lovely people, if you’re coming to Zandvoort, don’t forget to wear orange!”
Her call is intended to turn Circuit Zandvoort into a sea of orange one final time on the last race day. Max Verstappen had already seen plenty of orange around the track and in the grandstands on Saturday: “Of course, everyone can wear whatever they want, but fortunately I can already see a lot of orange.”
The Grand Prix starts at 15:00 on Sunday. Ahead of the race, the programme includes the F1 ACADEMY Feature Race, the pre-race show and Davina Michelle’s performance of the Dutch national anthem. Following the on-track finale, Martin Garrix will provide the musical finale.
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