Norris continues Dutch dominance with fastest FP3 time

Norris set a benchmark of 1m08.972s to extend his perfect run at Zandvoort so far this weekend, finishing the session 0.242s clear of teammate Oscar Piastri.

The lap was seven tenths quicker than his 2024 pole time, and only a tenth away from the outright circuit record held by Max Verstappen.

Piastri had briefly looked set to topple his teammate, holding the fastest time through the middle phase of the session.

But once Norris bolted on fresh soft tyres and benefitted from the track rubbering in, the McLaren driver comfortably reclaimed top spot, with the Australian unable to respond.

Compared to Friday’s drama, FP3 was relatively uneventful, with most drivers completing their programmes without incident.

The only real flashpoint involved Fernando Alonso and George Russell in a tense moment entering the main straight and pit entry.

Alonso moved to the right of the Mercedes in an attempt to pass, but Russell, seemingly unaware, made a late call to dive into the pits and nearly collided with the Aston Martin.

Alonso was forced into the pitlane to avoid contact, furiously venting over team radio. The incident is set to be reviewed by the stewards.

Despite the scare, Russell ended the session strongly in third, though still eight tenths off Norris’s pace.

Carlos Sainz impressed with fourth for Williams, while home favourite Verstappen had to settle for fifth, just ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

From Alex Albon in seventh onwards, every driver finished more than a second adrift of Norris, underlining the gap first revealed in FP1 on Friday.

Lance Stroll took eighth for Aston Martin, with teammate Alonso in tenth to continue the team’s recent run of double top-ten appearances. Splitting the pair was Isack Hadjar, who produced a strong ninth place for Racing Bulls.

Overnight thunderstorms had left the circuit damp at the start, prompting several drivers to head out on intermediates to test conditions. But with sunshine quickly drying the track, the rest of the session ran on slicks in warm conditions.

As the circuit continues to evolve and lap times continue to fall, the focus now turns to qualifying, where all eyes will be on Norris and McLaren to see just how much quicker they can go.

Qualifying begins at 3pm local time (11pm AEST).