MCLAREN established themselves as the team to beat during the opening practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix with both drivers setting impressive lap times.
Lando Norris recorded the fastest lap time of one minute 10.278 seconds, finishing 0.292 seconds ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri.
The session took place in dry but extremely windy conditions that challenged drivers throughout the hour-long practice.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli slid off the track and became stuck in the gravel, requiring recovery equipment and bringing out the red flag.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda also spun off immediately after the session restart, causing another interruption after just ten minutes of running.
McLaren demonstrated the same dominant pace that has put them nearly 300 points clear in the constructors championship standings.
Aston Martin drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso posted the third and fourth fastest times respectively behind the McLaren duo.
Home favourite Max Verstappen could only manage the sixth fastest time in his Red Bull during the opening session.
Ferrari endured a particularly disappointing practice with both drivers finishing outside the top ten positions.
Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished a lowly 14th and 15th in the timing sheets.
“We are miles off, like miles off” the pace, complained a disgruntled Leclerc on team radio.
Hamilton’s difficult transition from Mercedes to Ferrari continued as he suffered a full 360-degree spin during the session.
The British driver complained of “flat spots all round” on his tyres following the incident that highlighted his ongoing struggles.
McLaren’s strong performance comes as their drivers battle for the world championship with just ten races remaining.
Piastri currently holds a narrow nine-point advantage over Norris in the drivers’ championship standings.
Verstappen finds himself in the unusual position of third overall, nearly 100 points behind championship leader Piastri.
The Dutch driver also found himself in the gravel trap late in the session, requiring him to clear stones from his Red Bull chassis.
Weather conditions could play a significant role throughout the weekend with rain forecast for all three days.
Verstappen described the potential wet conditions as “chaos” while acknowledging his strong record in wet weather racing.
Heavy rain is specifically forecast for the second practice session scheduled for 4pm local time (1400 GMT). – AFP
