Lewis Hamilton matches F1 record as rain wreaks havoc before Dutch GP qualifying

Max Verstappen will have high hopes of securing yet another pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix but could be pushed hard in qualifying by the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. Hamilton will be desperate to put up a fight in the wet conditions ahead of tomorrow’s race, which will see him make his 323rd career start to move up to third in the all-time standings.

The Brit has struggled to keep up with Red Bull all year long but seemed be optimistic ahead of qualifying, with Mercedes having made progress after introducing a number of valuable upgrades. Hamilton was left in an upbeat mood after practice on Friday and believes that he can be competitive at Zandvoort, where the vast majority of fans will be in Verstappen’s corner.

“I woke up so excited to get back in the car, and from the first lap, it felt like we had a good starting point to work from,” said Hamilton.

“The first practice session was generally good. We made some changes for FP2 and I’m not sure if we progressed or not from them, so we will deep dive to investigate. Overall, the car is feeling more competitive here, so we want to hold onto that and see if we can extract more.”

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Verstappen goes quickest

Max Verstappen has been struggling but is still the quickest driver on track ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, is blocked by a slow-moving Lance Stroll at the final corner.

Piastri is also forced to take evasive action to prevent a collision with Carlos Sainz at Turn Two.

Four minutes left in Q1…

McLaren setting early pace

The lap times are tumbling as the circuit dries up, with Oscar Piastri currently leading Lando Norris at the top of the standings.

Nobody has gambled with slicks yet but they might not be far off…

Verstappen into the gravel

Max Verstappen takes a detour into the gravel after doing almost the exact same thing in practice yesterday.

He quickly manages to get back on track but is not happy with the grip levels and is making his feelings known via team radio.

“Mate, what the f*** is going on with the car? I have no grip. I’m spinning everything everywhere,” he says.

Here we go!

Qualifying is now underway and the drivers are beginning to emerge from the pit lane for the start of Q1.

Getting the last lap in at the right time will be crucial, with the track already drying as the sun peeks out from the clouds.

Everybody is on intermediates but it would not be a surprise to see some gamble on slicks as the conditions improve.

Ricciardo may target Singapore return

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has suggested that Daniel Ricciardo could return for AlphaTauri at the Singapore Grand Prix in September, which would see him miss next weekend’s race at Monza.

“I’m sure at the back of his mind he’s got Singapore as a target,” said Horner.

“But then again, Singapore is probably one of the toughest circuits on the calendar, so nature will take its course.”

Rain stops for now

There is still plenty of standing water across the track at Zandvoort but the rain has finally stopped falling.

Many fans in the stands are taking off their emergency ponchos after being soaked all morning.

The likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren will be hoping for the conditions to give them a fighting chance of beating Red Bull today.

However, Max Verstappen remains the overwhelming favourite to claim pole position.

First outing for Lawson

Liam Lawson is making his F1 debut this weekend after Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand in practice on Friday.

The Red Bull junior caused a red flag in FP3 this morning with a spin in the wet conditions, although he quickly managed to rejoin the session.

He will have high hopes of showing what he is capable of in qualifying and has been wished well by Ricciardo, who will be forced to watch from the sidelines this weekend.

“t’s a chance for Liam to have a go, and I wish him and the team a strong weekend,” said the Aussie.

Good afternoon

Hello and welcome to Express Sport‘s live coverage of qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix at a rain-soaked Zandvoort circuit.

The wet weather has been causing chaos all morning, with several drivers slipping in FP3 earlier today before the Formula Two sprint race was brought to a premature end.

It remains to be seen if the rain will shake up today’s qualifying order as Max Verstappen goes for pole at his home race, while the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris will be hoping to spoil the Dutchman’s party.

We’re just half an hour away from the start of the session and will be keeping you updated with the action as it happens…

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