McLaren’s Lando Norris Surpasses Verstappen in Thrilling Wet-to-Dry Zandvoort Practice

The 2024 Dutch Grand Prix started with an exciting and unpredictable first practice session at the Zandvoort Circuit. McLaren’s Lando Norris was the fastest driver, setting the quickest time in a session that began with wet and windy weather and ended with clearer skies. The session kept everyone on their toes as the track conditions kept changing.

The session started with heavy rain and strong winds, making the track very tricky.

Only a few drivers, including Pierre Gasly from Alpine, dared to go out early on. Gasly described the conditions as “wild,” and many other drivers struggled to keep control of their cars.

As the rain stopped and the track began to dry, drivers switched from wet to intermediate tyres. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, was the first to take the lead after a small spin. But soon, George Russell from Mercedes and Norris from McLaren started to challenge him as the track continued to dry.

In the last 10 minutes, the track was dry enough for the drivers to use slick tyres, and the session turned into a race for the fastest time.

Norris was among the first to switch to soft tyres, and he quickly set a very fast time, beating his previous best by three seconds. His final time of 1:12.322 secured him the top spot, just 0.201 seconds ahead of Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes finished third, but he was 0.684 seconds behind Norris. Hamilton’s final lap was slowed down by traffic. Carlos Sainz from Ferrari, who was using medium tyres, finished fourth, making him the best driver not using soft tyres.

The tough conditions caused several drivers to go off the track, but luckily, there were no major crashes. Nico Hulkenberg from Haas had a few moments in the gravel, and Verstappen’s earlier spin showed how challenging the track was. Despite these issues, the session gave the teams important data as they prepare for the weekend.

Alex Albon from Williams performed well, finishing sixth. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was close behind in seventh. The Haas drivers, Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, finished in eighth and ninth. Zhou Guanyu from Kick Sauber completed the top ten.

Norris’s strong performance in the first practice is good news for McLaren, who have brought new upgrades to their car this weekend. The team is hopeful but knows the improvements might not be as big as those they had earlier in the season. Red Bull is also introducing new upgrades as they try to get back on top after a tough start to the second half of the season.

As the weekend continues, the teams will keep adjusting to the unpredictable weather at Zandvoort, with more rain expected. .