Dutch Grand Prix: Lando Norris denies Max Verstappen pole position

Norris became the first driver to deny Verstappen pole at the Dutch driver’s home race with a final qualifying lap that was far ahead of anyone else’s pace, beating second-place Verstappen by .356 of a second.

McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates his pole position with second placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and third McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. | Photo Credit: AP

Lando Norris surged into pole position in qualifying Saturday for Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix as he tries to cut into Max Verstappen’s championship lead.

Norris became the first driver to deny Verstappen pole at the Dutch driver’s home race with a final qualifying lap that was far ahead of anyone else’s pace, beating second-place Verstappen by .356 of a second.

Verstappen had taken pole position and won all three of the races held at Zandvoort since the Dutch Grand Prix returned to the F1 schedule in 2021.

Oscar Piastri was third-fastest in the second McLaren.

There were two big surprises in the second part of qualifying as Carlos Sainz Jr. was 11th for Ferrari and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who won the last race in Belgium, was 12th for Mercedes.

Logan Sargeant didn’t take part in qualifying after a heavy crash in practice Saturday morning which left his Williams on fire.