George Russell Seizes Dutch GP Sprint Pole by Under 0.1s

3 articles · Updated · The Race · Aug 21

Four cars finished within a tenth at Zandvoort, but Russell delivered the decisive lap to take sprint pole after nearly a month without competitive running.
Mercedes' result was split: Kimi Antonelli qualified fifth after a spin, an SQ1 off and floor damage that he said cost about 25 points of downforce.
McLaren stayed closest with second and fourth, while Ferrari was mixed as Lewis Hamilton managed only seventh after setup changes left him saying he had a "completely different car."
Red Bull looked only fourth-best on pace—Max Verstappen was sixth and Liam Lawson 11th—while Aston Martin slumped to 19th and 22nd despite debuting an upgraded Honda engine.
The session also hinted at a midfield shake-up, with Pierre Gasly eighth after Alpine's major upgrade package appeared to restore early-season competitiveness.