Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole-sitter for the fourth year in a row after a stunning showing on the streets of Baku. 

Leclerc, who emerged victorious in Monza last time out, is in a good position to close the gap to both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship. 

Norris will need an unlikely turn of events to close his 62-point gap to the Dutchman as he encountered yellow flags on his final lap in the first session and will start Sunday's race in 17th. 

Verstappen, meanwhile, will start in sixth after being outqualified by team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished fourth, with Mercedes' George Russell sandwiched in between.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso came next, with Williams producing an excellent display with drives from Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon to complete the top 10. 

Leclerc's performance saw him record the best pole streak for a Ferrari driver in a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in Spain from 2000 to 2004 (five). 

Speaking after qualifying, the Monegasque was confident about his chances of becoming the first driver since Felipe Massa to achieve consecutive victories on at least two occasions. 

“It’s one of my favourite tracks of the season, I really like it, it hasn’t been an easy weekend because of the crash in FP1," Leclerc said.  

"It didn’t make me lose confidence as I knew that the pace was there, but you’ve got to be back up to speed.

“In Q3 and qualifying it was all about trying to stay as far as possible from the walls and on the last lap I went for it a bit more and the lap time came very nicely.

“The car felt really good and everything felt great, so it’s amazing to be on pole."

Norris was on course to make it through into the second session comfortably but a yellow flag as he approached the final straight saw his flying lap ruined. 

“The lap was easily good enough, but there was a yellow flag so I had to back off," Norris said. 

“Following is pretty much impossible around here and overtaking is a lot worse than everyone thinks.

“I am not expecting much from 17th, but we will put in a good plan tonight and do our best of course.

"I have been wrong, and I hope there are plenty of chances, but I’m not expecting so.”

But when asked, McLaren team-mate Piastri was confident that the team have the pace to score some big points in the race for the constructors' championship. 

"I think from where we are starting, yes," Piastri said.

But following around here is really tough, we saw yesterday, it was pretty tough once you get behind someone, hopefully get some clean air, which will be good.

"We'll see what we can do. I think our race pace is good, but again, the Ferraris are certainly not slow.

Qualifying results

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 

9. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

10. Alex Albon (Williams)

Lando Norris wants to try and topple Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship on merit, despite McLaren confirming they will prioritise the Briton over Oscar Piastri. 

Norris, who is currently 62 points behind Verstappen ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, is looking to bounce back from his second-place finish in Monza. 

The Dutchman has not won in his last six Grand Prix's, which is his worst run since the end of the 2020 season, but Norris has only closed the gap to him by seven points in the standings. 

McLaren's team principal Andrea Stella revealed the team would "bias" their operations towards Norris as they seek to win the drivers' and constructors' titles this season.

"I don't want to be given a championship," Norris started. 

"Yes, it would be great to have a championship, and in the short term you feel amazing, but I don't think you'd be proud of that in the long run.

"It's not how I want to win a championship."

Norris has shown his ability to challenge the three-time world champion on track this season, with the Briton finishing on the podium 10 times so far. 

The pair also locked horns at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Norris and Verstappen colliding on lap 64, forcing the former to retire in what could prove to be a pivotal moment in deciding who claims the drivers' championship. 

Norris needs to gain an average of just under eight points a weekend over the remaining eight Grand Prix's to beat Verstappen to the title but wants to do it the right way.

"I want to win it by fighting against Max and beating Max, beating my competitors and proving I'm the best on track. That's how I want to race," Norris said. 

But both Norris and Piastri played down the idea the Australian might be asked to sacrifice a win for his team-mate.

Norris said: "Probably not. In general, probably for lower positions, but if he's fought for a win and he's deserving of a win, then he deserves to win.

"Oscar is still fighting for his own racing, he's still going out and doing his stuff. And it could be that there's no time this year that he needs to help me.

"It's more that I've got Oscar's help when needs be, but he's still going out with that intent of every session of fighting for himself."

"The team have asked me to help out, and I've said for the last few races that if I was asked, then I would," Piastri added.

"Of course, naturally, as a driver, it's never an easy thing or a simple thing to agree to. But again, there's a much bigger picture in play than just myself.

"It still needs some more discussions, but the main point is it's not just going to be me pulling over for Lando every race because that's how none of us, including Lando, want to race.

"Trying to go through all the scenarios is impossible. We don't want to discuss that publicly, but the main one is if we feel one has done a much better job on a weekend, whichever way it is, we want that person to be rewarded.

"And that's where it becomes a little bit tricky still."

McLaren are set to prioritise Lando Norris over team-mate Oscar Piastri in their bid to win both Formula One championship titles, starting in Baku this weekend. 

McLaren currently sit second in the constructors' championship, eight points behind Red Bull, with both Norris and Piastri also in the top five of the drivers' standings.

Having tossed and turned about how to attack the final eight races of the season, the British-based team have opted to back Norris ahead of the Australian. 

However, Andrea Stella said the decision to back the Brit in dethroning Max Verstappen would only happen within the team's principles of sportsmanship and fairness.

"The overall concept is we are incredibly determined to win, but we want to win in the right way," Stella said. 

Norris arrives at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix off the back of a third-placed finish in Monza, coming in six seconds behind team-mate Piastri. 

But Norris was able to add 16 points to his drivers' championship tally, closing the gap to Verstappen to 62 points after the Dutchman finished in sixth. 

Piastri finds himself 106 points behind Verstappen, but Stella continued to reiterate McLaren's 'papaya rules'. 

"We [will] bias our support to Lando but we want to do it without too much compromise on our principles," he said.

"Our principles are that the team interest always comes first. Sportsmanship for us is important in the overall way we go racing.

"And then we want to be fair to both drivers."

Until now, McLaren had allowed Norris and Piastri to race each other without interference from the team.

But a series of meetings at McLaren have resulted in a shift in policy after failing to capitalise on a one-two in qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix last time out.

Norris, who started on pole, endured another slow start out of the blocks, allowing Piastri to narrowly squeeze past his team-mate on the opening lap. 

But in doing so, it allowed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to position himself between the two McLarens, with the Monegasque eventually roaring to victory on Italian soil.

"What we don't want to see any more is a situation like in Monza in which we enter a chicane P1/P2, and we exit P1/P3, because that is a detriment to the team," Stella said.

"The team interests come first and these are the situations that above all we need to fix, because eventually, as a matter of fact, the way we entered the race in Monza left the door open for this situation.

"After Monza, three objectives: we need to make sure that anything that happens on track is not to the detriment of the team.

"Second objective, how do we win both championships, both drivers committed to help? But what we don't want to do is win in a reckless way.

"Those are the three topics and they define the way we go racing in Baku. This will be updated after Baku."

Verstappen triumphed in seven of the first 10 races of the 2024 season, with the Dutchman looking destined to run away with the drivers' championship once again. 

But Red Bull's recent struggles on the track have been alarming, with Verstappen now six grands prix without a victory (his worst streak since the penultimate GP of 2020 when he went 11 in a row).

It has allowed Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren to catch up in the respective championship standings, with Red Bull left bemused as to why a once-dominant car has seen its performance drop so dramatically. 

But another team's misfortune has certainly been McLaren's gain, with Stella assuring that both Norris and Piastri were onboard with the shift in philosophy. 

"The conversations have been very collaborative," Stella concluded.

"Even when I said to Oscar: 'Would you be available to give up a victory?' He said: 'It's painful, but if it's the right thing to do now, I will do it'.

"Every driver is hard-wired to go for a victory. So I am always very impressed by the level of team spirit and maturity and collaboration that we found in this period."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Lando Norris - McLaren

With all the talk surrounding Norris ahead of this weekend's race in Baku, the Brit will be keen to make amends and continue his pursuit of Verstappen. 

For the first time in 2024, Norris has finished ahead of the Dutchman in two straight races. Throughout Verstappen's dry spell, the Brit has only closed the gap on him by seven points in the drivers' championship, though. 

While Norris' full focus will be on closing the gap to Verstappen, he has the opportunity to put himself among the elite British racers to have competed in the competition. 

The 24-year-old is one podium away from equalling Stirling Moss and John Surtees to enter the top 10 of British drivers with the most podiums (24).

If he does achieve that feat, David Coulthard (62) and Eddie Irvine (26) will be the only British non-world champions who have achieved more podiums than Norris in the history of F1.

But there is also a lot at stake for McLaren. They are now just eight points behind Red Bull in the constructors' standings, knowing a better finish than their opponents will see them top the rankings for the first time since Brazil in 2005.

And they have reason for optimism too. McLaren have seen one or both of their drivers stand on the podium in each of the last 12 races in the competition. 

Should they do so again in Baku, it will equal the team's second-best run in the history of the competition (13, which it recorded on two other occasions, between the United States and Portugal in 1990, and Germany 2011 and China 2012), only behind a sequence of 19 between Australia 2007 and Malaysia 2008.

Sergio Perez - Red Bull

No one saw Red Bull's recent struggles coming after a dominant start to the season, but they could spring a surprise with a driver who relishes the Baku street circuit. 

Sergio Perez is still waiting to add to his five wins he has managed with the Austrian-based team, but he may be confident of adding to that tally in Azerbaijan. 

This weekend's grand prix will be the circuit's seventh appearance in the F1 calendar, with the Mexican the only driver to prevail twice around the Baku track (2021 and 2023). 

In fact, it is the only grand prix where the Mexican has won more than one race in his career. 

Given his impressive form in Azerbaijan, Perez has also scored the most points (100) in Baku, the only track on which he has reached the 100-point mark. 

Only a Lewis Hamilton victory and fastest lap would see the seven-time world champion overtake Perez this time around (75 points for Hamilton). 

However, the Mexican has now gone 10 consecutive grands prix without finishing in the top five of the standings, the same number of times as in his previous 41 races in the competition.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 303

Lando Norris (McLaren) - 241

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 217

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 197

Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 184

Constructors

Red Bull - 446

McLaren - 438

Ferrari - 407

Mercedes - 292

Aston Martin - 74

Christian Horner has praised Max Verstappen's attitude during Red Bull's recent struggles, but he is confident the team can make a comeback in the final eight races. 

Verstappen saw his lead cut at the top of the drivers' championship to 62 points by McLaren's Lando Norris in Monza, with Charles Leclerc also closing the gap. 

The Dutchman has now gone five Grand Prix's without a pole position, his worst streak since the sixth race of the 2021 season (five). 

He has also failed to emerge victorious in his last six Grand Prix's, with the last time he stood on the top step being at Barcelona in June.

“What’s really impressed me with Max is how he’s really engaged in this process,” said Horner.

“He’s not panicking, he’s working with the engineers, he’s explaining very clearly where the issues are, he’s putting the time and effort in.

“He was in early this morning, he was on Zoom calls last week, he’ll be on the simulator before the next race, and he’s really working hard at this.

"I think he’s shown great maturity as a world champion, the way he’s working with the engineering group.

“Nobody likes the situation we’re in at the moment, nobody’s happy with it and we’ve got to work really hard to turn it around.

"But the one thing this team has is strength and depth in talent, and we’ll come back.”

Red Bull's struggles have also seen their advantage at the top of the constructors' standings evaporate, and are now only eight points clear of McLaren, with Ferrari 39 points off the pace. 

But a return to action next weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix offers the team a chance to bridge the gap to those below them. 

Only one driver has achieved more than one victory on the streets of Baku, with that man being Verstappen's team-mate, Sergio Perez, who won in 2021 and 2023.

The Mexican has scored the most points on the circuit (100), with only a Lewis Hamilton victory and fastest lap being enough to overtake the Red Bull driver (75). 

But Perez has now gone 10 consecutive Grands Prix without finishing in the top five of the standings, the same number of times as in his previous 41 races in Formula 1. 

However, Horner is optimistic that solutions can be put in place prior to the upcoming double header of Azerbaijan and Singapore.

“The most important thing is understanding the issue, and I think there are certain fixes that potentially can be introduced, perhaps not the resolve the whole issue but address some of it,” Horner said.

“I think we have a two-week period before Baku and Singapore and then we have another mini-break where we can work in-between Singapore and Austin, so this time now is crucial.”

Sergio Perez insists Max Verstappen is now "in the same boat" as himself after Red Bull's recent struggles continued at the Italian Grand Prix. 

Perez, who finished in eighth at Monza last Sunday, complained about the balance of the RB20 along with his team-mate, who ended the race in sixth and 37 seconds behind eventual winner Charles Leclerc. 

The Mexican also found tyre wear higher than expected and failed to make a two-stop strategy work in his favour and is now without a podium since the Chinese Grand Prix.

Perez has also gone 10 consecutive Grand Prix's without finishing in the top five of the standings, the same number of times as in his previous 41 races in Formula 1.

He has struggled with his car numerous times this season, but now his difficulties have been matched by his team-mate and three-time world champion. 

“I really feel like I’m in the same boat as I’ve been in for the last eight, 10 races but now all of a sudden Max has come into similar issues so yeah," Perez said.

"There is a little bit of a confusion there but it is clear in the data where the problem is. 

“I am very confident the team here at track and back at home have the solution, we have produced great cars in the past and there is no reason why we cannot get back on track.

“We have no questions now, we know the problem. Given it is all related to balance, if we can find a fix then we can switch it around but for now, it’s head down until we find the answer."

The good news for Perez is that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is next up on the race calendar, a track he won at last season and in 2021.

Perez is also the driver who has scored the most points at Baku (100), with only a Lewis Hamilton victory and fastest lap being enough to overtake the Mexican if he fails to score points this time around (75 points for Hamilton).

Charles Leclerc handed Ferrari a home victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, beating McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at Monza.

Looking to cut the gap to drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen, Norris entered the race as favourite after qualifying fastest, only to be overtaken by team-mate Piastri on the opening lap.

Leclerc started from fourth but quickly found himself battling the McLarens for the lead after Mercedes' George Russell locked up on the opening lap, and the Monegasque sent the home fans into raptures by passing Norris at the second chicane.

Norris later undertook Leclerc to once more give McLaren hope of a one-two, with team engineers encouraging the two team-mates to race one another cleanly for victory.

However, Leclerc's one-stop strategy paid off as the McLaren drivers pitted for a second time, and he held off a late push from Piastri to triumph by 2.6 seconds.

It is Leclerc's second victory at the Italian Grand Prix, which he also won in 2019, and team-mate Carlos Sainz held off future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton to finish fourth.

There was yet more disappointment for Verstappen, who saw his lead in the standings cut to 62 points as he finished sixth, ahead of Russell and fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

Data Debrief: Tifosi celebrate landmark triumph

Leclerc's victory was Ferrari's 20th at the Italian Grand Prix, just the second instance of a team reaching that figure at a single venue in Formula One.

The Scuderia previously achieved that feat themselves in Germany, where they have won 21 times.

Leclerc now holds a 20-point lead over Piastri in the drivers' standings, sitting third behind title contenders Verstappen and Norris.

Top 10 

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

Lando Norris admitted his pole position at the Italian Grand Prix was "a surprise" after McLaren secured a second qualifying one-two of the season at Monza. 

Norris, who is aiming to become the first McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2010 to win consecutive races, looks good to close the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who finished in seventh. 

The Briton was just 0.109 seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, with Mercedes' George Russell 0.113s off the pace in third after an incredibly tight Saturday session.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were fourth and fifth for Ferrari at the team's home event, with Hamilton in sixth. 

Sergio Perez enjoyed a better qualifying session this time around and will start the race in eighth, while Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. 

Norris pipped Piastri by just 0.035s on his first lap in the top-10 shootout, before improving his time on his second attempt despite not being happy with his lap.

"To have a first and second when the field is as tight as it has been all weekend is a little bit of a surprise, but a nice one," Norris said.

"My lap, it hurts me to say it, was not a great lap. My first one was. But still good enough for pole and still very happy.

"There are a lot of quick drivers behind in quick cars, so I am not expecting an easy race. Plenty of question marks but a lot of excitement, I'm sure."

Verstappen, however, struggled with balance in the final qualifying session, having been expected to battle the two McLarens after a strong showing in Q2. 

The three-time champion described the car as "shocking" at one point, and will have to come from midfield to claim a first win since the Spanish Grand Prix. 

Should the Dutchman fail to win at Monza, it will be the first time since the 2020 season he has gone six races without a victory. He had a run of 11 winless races in a row that year from Spain to Sakhir.

"Q3 was very bad on both of my tyre sets. I just picked up a lot of understeer so I couldn't attack any corners any more," Verstappen said. 

"I had to back it out a lot mid-corner and you lose a lot of lap time like that.

"Somehow in Q2 it wasn’t that bad. I did a 1:19.6 at that point and we were almost the quickest. We know our limitations and problems but at that point I think we had it fairly under control.

"But I went into Q3 and the balance was completely out, and I don't really understand how that happened."

Qualifying results

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Max Versappen (Red Bull)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says he and Max Verstappen have agreed to keep communications open with a view to a potential blockbuster move in the future.

Verstappen has emerged as the dominant force in Formula One since beating Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to his first drivers' championship title in 2021, winning two further crowns and leading Lando Norris in the standings this year.

However, the Dutchman has repeatedly cast doubt upon his long-term future with Red Bull, suggesting ahead of last week's Dutch Grand Prix that he was more than halfway through his F1 career.

When Hamilton confirmed he would join Ferrari for 2025 in January, Mercedes were strongly linked with a move for Verstappen amid a turbulent time for Red Bull.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner was accused – and later cleared – of sexual harassment and coercive behaviour by a female team employee, with his relationship with Verstappen reportedly becoming strained.

Wolff admits there was a moment where the deal seemed possible, though Mercedes are now expected to confirm Andrea Kimi Antonelli as George Russell's team-mate for 2025.

"Red Bull was the dominant car at the beginning of the season," Wolff told BBC Sport. "And that changed a bit. It's Max Verstappen dominant at the moment.

"And the relationships were dysfunctional. I'm not sure they are back in a great place, but it is what it is. 

"There was a moment, or there was an opportunity, to at least have conversations of what it could be in the future, and this is what we did."

Asked if Verstappen could join the Silver Arrows for 2026, when wide-ranging regulation changes take effect, Wolff responded: "Much too early. 

"For the benefit of our drivers next year, I don't want to have any conversations about 2026 or beyond, because we very much hope that the 2025 lineup will be the lineup going forward.

"We have not given each other any, let's say, timings.

"It is more like, keep the communication channel open, while knowing that his priority is to make it function with Red Bull and our priority will be to make it function with the two drivers we have."

Andrea Stella insisted that placing full focus on Lando Norris as McLaren's number one driver was "not a good approach" for the last nine races of the Formula 1 season.

Norris, who won his second career race at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, closed the gap to Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship to 70 points. 

His dominance was emphasised by the result, finishing 22.896 seconds in front of Verstappen, the largest winning margin by a driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

Norris' McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri finished fourth in Zandvoort, largely blamed for being caught up in traffic, which meant finishing behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

The Australian currently has 179 points in the drivers' championship standings, 46 behind Norris, and claimed his maiden win in the competition in Hungary back in July. 

However, the triumph did not come without its controversy, with Norris initially ignoring team orders to hand first place back to Piastri before eventually cooperating.

Zak Brown said afterwards that deciding whether to install a number one driver was up to Stella, but the Italian said the pair would be treated equally.

"I think when it comes to these conversations about being the number one, I don't think that's a good way of approaching racing," Stella said.

"We'd rather approach racing from fairness, integrity, and then see what come from this kind of approach."

Piastri is the current driver on the grid with the best run of Grand Prix's finished (19). If he finishes in Monza, he will become only the second McLaren driver to finish 20 races in a row in F1 after his current team-mate Norris (21 between Abu Dhabi 2022 and Sao Paulo 2023).

McLaren's improvements have seen them have one or both of their drivers on the podium in the last 11 races.

The Italian Grand Prix offers the team a chance to record their fourth best-ever run in the competition (12), with eyes on their first constructors' title since 1998. 

"The first target is to win the Constructors' Championship," Piastri said. 

"I think naturally, if we're closing the gap in the constructors', there's probably a good chance that we're both closing it in the drivers' [championship] as well.

"I'm not that far behind Lando in the standings either, so of course if the call comes later in the year and it's a realistic shot, then I'll do my part for the team.

"But I think at the moment, the gap is big for both of us so we'll focus on just trying to do the best job that we can and see where we end up a bit later in the year.

"I think for me the biggest thing is just trying to maximise every weekend.

That gives the team the most opportunities for the constructors', that gives me the most opportunities for whatever occurs in the drivers' standings.

"If there's an opportunity for myself to win the drivers' standings, then I'll try my best to make sure I'm there."

Max Verstappen insists he and Red Bull have "no need to panic" despite seeing his Formula One winless streak stretch to five races at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Drivers' Championship leader was forced to settle for a second-place finish at Zandvoort behind Lando Norris, who closed the gap in the standings to 70 points.

Verstappen, who had won his home race in each of the past three seasons, began his 200th F1 race second on the grid with Norris in pole, but swiftly overtook the Briton with a fast start.

However, the Dutchman was unable to prevent Norris' response, and he felt a lack of grip on the tyres were impacting his performance.

Verstappen conceded he was lacking confidence in the speed of his car, and was subsequently focused on securing second place.

"You always try to do better," he said. "We had a good start, we tried everything we could today, but throughout the race, I think it was quite clear that we were not quick enough, so I tried to be second.

"I know that we have good starts, so I was quite confident that we would have another one, and luckily it was like that.

"I was just doing my own race, looking after the tyres, I tried to do the best I could. But, at one point, nothing was turning or responding anymore. Once [Lando] passed, I just focused on doing my race, tried to bring it to the end in second.

"I think this weekend was just a bad weekend in general, so we need to understand that. But the last few races, they haven't really been fantastic. So that, I think in a sense, was already a bit alarming.

"But we know that we don't need to panic. We are just trying to improve the situation, and that's what we are working on. But F1 is very complicated."

Lando Norris ended Max Verstappen's run of victories at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, winning from pole despite being immediately passed by the Formula One champion.

Verstappen had won his home race in each of the past three seasons since it returned to the calendar, but he qualified behind Norris on Saturday.

The Dutchman, racing for the 200th time in F1, still could have claimed another triumph, tearing away from Norris almost immediately as the pole-sitter endured another tricky start.

However, Verstappen was soon complaining about a lack of grip and could do little to stop Norris responding.

The Briton stuck with his rival throughout the opening laps and then eased past into the lead at the first corner.

Once back in front, Norris assumed full control, disappearing off into the distance to win by 22.8 seconds as Verstappen was forced to settle for the second step on the podium.

The Red Bull superstar is now five races without a win, allowing Norris to close the gap in the drivers' championship to 70 points.

McLaren are also applying pressure in the constructors' championship, 30 points behind Red Bull now despite Oscar Piastri being beaten to third by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc following a lengthy battle.

Data Debrief: Dutch pole trend continues

Verstappen may have got in front early on, but he clearly was not confident he had the fastest car this weekend, having qualified behind Norris.

With the McLaren man instead winning, it means five of the past six Dutch Grands Prix have been won by the driver starting on pole, including Verstappen in each of his three prior triumphs.

Attention for Verstappen now turns to Italy and ending his five-race winless run, his longest such sequence since 11 in a row in the 2020 season.

Top 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 295
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 225
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 192

Constructors

1. Red Bull - 434
2. McLaren - 404
3. Ferrari - 370

Lewis Hamilton believes his weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix is "done" after being knocked out in the second qualifying session.

He has also since been hit with a three-place grid penalty after he was deemed to have intentionally impeded Sergio Perez during the first session.

As such, he will now begin the race in 15th instead of the original starting position of 12th.

Hamilton was already left frustrated by his performance in qualifying and wrote off any chances of him earning a fourth podium in as many races.

"It just went downhill like a domino effect from the moment with Checo [Perez], then the balance just got more and more snappy, more and more 'oversteery' – it was terrible," he said before being hit with the grid penalty.

"It's definitely very, very frustrating, naturally, but it is what it is. It's kind of the weekend done, and I'll have to move on to next week [at Monza].

"I think ultimately, if everyone had had a dry P3, we probably would have done a bit of a better job with the set-up, maybe, for qualifying, but still, I think just [the] performance wasn't there from my side."

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen will start his home Grand Prix from second after being pipped to pole position by Lando Norris by 0.356s.

It is the first time he has not started top of the grid at Zandvoort since the race's reintroduction to the calendar in 2021, while he is aiming to win the Dutch Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive year.

While Verstappen still had some complaints about the lack of pace in his car, he was optimistic that he could challenge for the title on Sunday.

"I think the whole qualifying we just lacked a bit of pace," the reigning world champion said. "I tried the best I could. I'm still very happy of course to be on the front row.

"I'm happy with second. I think after Friday as well this is a good result.

"We'll give it a good go. Of course, when you're more than three-tenths behind in qualifying, I think we have to be realistic. I'll just try to have a good race tomorrow."

Alex Albon was disqualified from Dutch Grand Prix qualifying after his floor body failed technical checks.

He had qualified in eighth, but will now start at the back of the grid with Williams teammate Logan Sargeant, who did not compete in qualifying after a heavy crash in the final practice session. 

Lando Norris claimed pole for the Dutch Grand Prix but expects Max Verstappen to "put up a good fight" in his home race.

The McLaren driver had cemented himself as the favourite following promising practice sessions and produced a stunning lap to edge the Dutchman by 0.356s in the final round of qualifying.

It is the first time that Verstappen will not start on pole at Zandvoort in his career and will face stiff competition as he aims for a fourth-straight win in the Netherlands, with Oscar Piastri behind him in third and Mercedes' George Russell in fourth. Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez rounds out the top five.

While Norris had been self-critical in the lead-up to the mid-season break, he was much more optimistic about his chances of claiming a second-ever Formula 1 victory at Zandvoort.

"An amazing day. It's nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap, honestly," he said after qualifying.

"The qualifying was always pretty smooth, and I put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. A great job by the team, and I'm happy.

"It's not easy, but I felt comfortable out there, the car was feeling amazing. We've got some upgrades on the car for the first time in a while and everything's working very well, so a big thanks to the team too.

"I'm sure it's going to be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he's still second, and he's going to be putting up a good fight, especially at his home race. I'm looking forward to it."

Charles Leclerc, in sixth, is Ferrari's sole representative in the top 10, while Alex Albon finished eighth, in between the two Aston Martin drivers, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll seventh and ninth respectively.

Pierre Gasly finished 10th, while Lewis Hamilton will start 12th after being knocked out in the second session after a mistake on the penultimate corner of his final lap.

The seven-time champion also faces a stewards' investigation to see whether he impeded Perez in the first qualifying session. 

Top 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

8. Alex Albon (Williams)

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

Max Verstappen admitted Red Bull were "a bit too slow" compared to Mercedes and McLaren after the first two practice sessions for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen is without a win since the Spanish Grand Prix in June but is looking to earn a fourth victory in a row on home soil on Sunday.

However, he ended up down in fifth place after Friday's second practice session, trailing George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris at Zandvoort.

Having only made the podium in one race since his last win, Verstappen is eyeing big improvements ahead of qualifying on Saturday.

"Of course, in FP1 I didn't really get a lot of running in. I guess in FP2 you could see a little bit more where you are.

"[We're] a bit too slow on the short run, a bit too slow on the long run, so a bit of work to do.

"At the moment, [there's] no clear answer of how to improve that specifically, but we'll look into things. Just a bit too slow, as simple as that.

"It's where we've been the last few races, so it's not really a surprise. We'll try to just find a little bit more performance for Sunday."

Meanwhile, Ferrari also struggled to match the early pace set by Mercedes and McLaren, with Charles Leclerc placing ninth on the timesheet after the second session.

He was the sole representative for the team for most of the session after Carlos Sainz had gearbox trouble, and the Monegasque admitted they still had work to do to challenge.

"Tough [day]!" Leclerc said. "As expected, I would say. We don't quite have the pace of the guys in front, unfortunately.

"I think it's better than what it looks like on the timesheet at the end of the day, but still not quite in the fight for the win, for sure.

"There's quite a bit of work to do still. That's what we are doing, but I hope it will pay off soon."

George Russell believes this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix may be decided by the finest of margins after going quickest during Friday's practice in Zandvoort. 

Russell, who was denied a third career win at Spa for his car being underweight last time out, finished the session 0.061 seconds quicker than McLaren's Oscar Piastri. 

Mercedes' recent improvements were on show once more, with Russell's team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing 0.111 behind him as Lando Norris ended up in fourth. 

Defending world champion Max Verstappen endured another difficult time out on track, ending up in fifth ahead of tomorrow's qualifying sessions. 

But despite the Dutchman's underwhelming display on the track, Russell did not rule out the threat of Verstappen, who has won the race on the last three ocassions. 

“Really difficult out there because it was so windy. But the car was performing really well. It looks to be quite a close battle with the McLarens and Max.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, saw room for improvement in his own performance as he looks to continue his impressive form before the mid-season break. 

The seven-time world champion has reached four podiums in the last five Formula 1 races, while also scoring the most points (95) than anyone else in the last five races. 

But should he record four consecutive podiums for the first time since 2022, Hamilton acknowledged that his set-up must be spot, starting in qualifying.  

“It was OK today. A big, big difference compared to last year so the car is feeling more alive and we’re right up there at the front," Hamilton said. 

“I didn’t get the most out of it (on the single lap), there is still performance, left. I just have to work on set-up.

"I don’t know if I looked particularly quick (on the long run) but the set-up I had for a single lap was hindering the long run.”

Norris will also be looking to close the gap in the drivers' championship, currently sitting 78 points behind Verstappen with 10 races of the season remaining. 

And after a promising session on Friday, the Briton is confident that McLaren can continue to push and challenge the Silver Arrows this weekend. 

“Mercedes look a bit quicker but it is close. I don't think there is a quickest. It depends on different factors.

“We have been in good form since Miami but not brought any updates since Miami. This weekend’s our first time trying to make a bit more progress with the car.

“(I’m) optimistic, but have no idea whether it’s working or not how it’s performing at the minute.

“Today was a reasonable day and we are there or thereabouts. A little bit more to find tonight hopefully and we can challenge the Mercedes.”