Max Verstappen drove the fastest time during the last practice session for the GP of the Netherlands. The drivers were presented with a wet Zandvoort circuit and treacherous conditions. Verstappen also made a mistake, but he eventually drove the fastest time.
Welcome to a wet and wild qualifying day at Zandvoort!
FP3 is under way, join us! https://t.co/MddmLh3lbF#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/vIeO6mFymu
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
Because Daniel Ricciardo broke his left wrist during a crash in the second practice session yesterday, Red Bull junior Liam Lawson gets the chance to make his F1 debut with the AlphaTauri team. Together with the other riders, he was immediately presented with challenging conditions.
Best of luck out there, @LiamLawson30
The 21-year-old makes his first F1 appearance on a Saturday for @AlphaTauriF1 #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/4C3APHICZ8
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
After all, the rain predicted for this weekend had reached the Zandvoort circuit. In the rain, the drivers had to prepare as best they could for qualifying.
Yep… it’s definitely wet out there!
Max and Liam get the first laps on the board#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/OMLf7GcEvY
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
That means, in addition to looking for the limits of the car and the circuit, also trying to find the best possible driving line and grip. The fact that the conditions were very treacherous was evident from the many cars that went wrong and ended up next to the track.
The tricky conditions are catching everyone out – even the Red Bull pair #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/NEQahF1kon
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
Only about 15 minutes into the session we got the red flag for the first time. Kevin Magnussen had spun his Haas F1 car and came to rest against the wall.
RED FLAG
Magnussen slides into the wall at the treacherous Turn 3 and the session comes to a halt#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/foQT6EmDuY
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
When the session resumed we saw Charles Leclerc go wide in the first corner and just avoid the wall.
That was clooooose!
Leclerc is the latest driver to run wide, missing the barriers at Turn 1 by a matter of centimetres #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/dcAncQFHFk
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
Halfway through the practice session, there was another red flag after China’s Guanyu Zhou ended up in the gravel trap with his Alfa Romeo F1 car. A lot of lost time and treacherous conditions made this last practice session not an ideal time to prepare for qualifying.
RED FLAG
We go red again – this time Zhou beaches himself in the gravel just before the final corner#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/RXAqlVnydS
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
The rain was a challenge for everyone, but the photographers enjoyed these conditions in which they were able to capture beautiful images of the F1 cars.
Oh snap!
A very refreshing choice of vantage point for these photographers#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/t4JvTGLD6r
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
With about ten minutes left on the clock, we were red-flagged again, this time after debutant Liam Lawson lost control of his car in the final corner and made contact with the wall. Fortunately, the session could be restarted quickly.
He is rich
Lawson loses it in the final corner and makes minor contact with the wall, but he spins the car back the right way and is back in the pits
The red flag comes back out, but not for long!#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/v5jG0TBCnY
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
In the end it was Max Verstappen who drove the fastest drive, of course to the delight of the home crowd.
END OF FP3
Verstappen keeps improving as the session ends, but runs wide on his final lap
He still ends up 0.4s ahead of Russell in P2#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/q0y2YJj5Za
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2023
George Russell was about four tenths slower in the Mercedes, while teammate Sergio Perez in the same car was exactly one second slower.