The holiday break has ended and Formula 1 returns this Friday at the Zandvoort circuit for the Dutch Grand Prix, the opening race in a ten-event stretch to finish the 2023 calendar. The global leader in the standings is aiming to shine in front of the Dutch crowd as Max Verstappen takes the spotlight. He could notch his ninth consecutive win, tying Sebastian Vettel’s long standing mark. In practice, the Red Bull driver led the early lap times on a dry day, clocking a best of 1 minute 11.852 seconds amid favorable conditions forecast for the weekend.
Aston Martin brought significant updates to the Dutch track, including a redesigned floor, revised side structures and front grilles, and a new diffuser. Yet the session started with some technical hiccups in telemetry, keeping the team busy in the box. Lance Stroll faced his own challenge, as a power unit issue limited his driving, while Fernando Alonso managed to complete his opening run on the Zandvoort surface in second place, just a fraction off Verstappen’s pace.
Carlos Sainz was absent from the initial practice as he handed his car to Ferrari Academy driver Robert Shwartzman in line with the rule requiring a youth driver to sit in on at least one free session per season. The Madrid native is set to face a tougher challenge at the final round in Abu Dhabi, potentially positioned behind his teammate Charles Leclerc on a less demanding circuit there.
The first red flag of the weekend came from Nico Hülkenberg. Confirmed by Haas for next season alongside teammate Kevin Magnussen, the German driver ended up stuck in the gravel with about 18 minutes left in the session, halting the action briefly while crews cleared the danger.
GP Netherlands. Free Practice 1
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:11.852
2. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) at 0.278
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) at 0.373
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) at 0.471
5. Alex Albon (Williams) at 0.595
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) at 0.608
7. Logan Sargeant (Williams) at 0.765
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) at 0.806
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) at 0.897
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) at 0.950
11. George Russell (Mercedes) at 0.961
12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) at 1.043
13. Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri) at 1.138
14. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) at 1.470
15. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) at 1.596
16. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) at 1.667
17. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) at 1.974
18. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) at 2.171
19. Robert Shwartzman (Ferrari) at 2.951