'Amazing' Norris upstages Max; Ricciardo's 's***y' day as pressure ...

McLaren driver Lando Norris has claimed a stunning pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix, pipping local favourite Max Verstappen into second in a thrilling qualifying session affected by strong gusts.

The British driver registered the fastest lap in one minute 9.673 seconds, ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull who clocked 1min 10.029sec in windy and damp conditions at the Zandvoort circuit on the Dutch coast.

“An amazing day. I’m excited for tomorrow but I know it’s going to be tough,” said Norris.

Oscar Piastri finished third but it was an unhappy outing for fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo who will start 16th after failing to make it out of Q1 amid debate about his future.

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ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 24: Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 24, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

The qualifying battle came down to the wire, as Verstappen sent his orange army of Dutch fans into raptures by claiming the fastest time with less than a minute left.

But Norris stormed back just seconds later to nick the fourth pole position of his career and break the home fans’ hearts.

“We lacked a bit of pace. I’m still happy to be on the front row. It’s tricky out there with the wind,” said Verstappen.

“I’m happy with second. I think after yesterday, this was a good result,” added the 26-year-old.

Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri will start in third place ahead of George Russell from Mercedes in fourth and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull in fifth.

But there was major disappointment for Russell’s teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who was eliminated after the second round of qualifying, as was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Hamilton’s day then went from bad to worse as he was hit with a three-place grid penalty for impeding Perez in the first qualifying session, dropping him to 14th on the grid.

And Williams’ endured a troubled Saturday at the seaside too. First Logan Sargeant smashed his car in third practice, then teammate Alex Albon, who had secured eighth place in qualifying, had his time disqualified, relegating him to the rear of Sunday’s grid.

The London-based Thai’s Williams was found to be in breach of the technical regulations with an issue to the floor of his heavily updated car.

Verstappen will be competing in his 200th Grand Prix on Sunday but things have not gone his way so far this race weekend.

He has won all three races held in the Netherlands since it was re-established on the circuit in 2021 and always started on pole.

But he trailed in fifth during practice, complaining his Red Bull was lacking speed, with no clear path to improving performance.

After winning 19 races on a cruise to the 2023 world championship, Verstappen took seven of the first 10 in 2024, leaving many fearing a similar procession this year.

But he has suffered a lean spell by his own standards, without a win in the last four races -- his longest winless stretch since 2020.

“If you look at the last seven races, it’s just been a bit more difficult for us,” said Verstappen, admitting there was no “magic switch” to reassert his dominance.

“We are trying to understand, we are trying to just improve the situation.” Verstappen said it would be “very tricky” in Sunday’s race to close the pace gap that Norris has shown so far in Zandvoort.

“It seems like Lando’s a bit happier in general, which is the driving and how he feels. I’m a bit all over the place,” said the Dutchman.

Verstappen nevertheless enjoys a 78-point lead in the drivers’ championship over closest rival Norris, who has admitted he faces an uphill climb to overhaul the Dutchman.

“I felt good all the way through qualifying, honestly. The car’s been strong all weekend. We felt comfortable. We felt strong,” Norris told reporters after qualifying.

Ricciardo, meanwhile described it as a ‘s***y session” as he revealed some issues with his RB car on a frustrating afternoon. The 35-year-old Aussie was outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda (13th) again as pressure mounts ahead of the 2025 season as he faces a fierce challenge from junior driver Liam Lawson for a seat.

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 24: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB prepares to drive in the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 24, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“The [qualifying] session didn’t go well but I think yesterday there was some reasons why we weren’t maybe as quick,” Ricciardo said.

“But yeah, s***y session.

“We’re not in a hole or anything, but it’s just frustrating when you want to start the second half of the season on a good note.”

Earlier in the day, a violent crash by Williams driver Sargeant on a wet track had restricted the final practice session to a mere 16 minutes.

But the famously unpredictable Dutch seaside weather changed again for the afternoon qualifying three hours later, with hazy sunshine initially drying out the track.

The wind however continued to play a major part, with several drivers complaining that powerful gusts made the corners especially difficult to negotiate.

Grid for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix after qualifying at Zandvoort on Saturday:

Front row Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren), Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)

2nd row Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren), George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)

3rd row Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull), Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)

4th row Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin), Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin)

5th row Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine), Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari)

6th row Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/RB), Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Haas)

7th row Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas), Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) *

8th row Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/RB), Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine)

9th row Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Sauber), Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Sauber)

10th row Alex Albon (THA/Williams) **, Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams)

* Hamilton was given a three-place penalty for impeding Perez ** Albon qualified in 8th but his time was disqualified due to his car being found to be in breach of the technical regulations

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