The track was declared wet in the moments before the session as blustery conditions lashed the circuit.
That disincentivised most from running early, and those who did completed nothing more than an installation lap.
Conditions did improve marginally midway through the session, prompting more out on track, Oscar Piastri among them.
All were using the full wet tyre; conditions marginally beyond the scope of the intermediate rubber, though teams were also looking to save them for later in the weekend.
The sun finally broke through midway through the session and changed that situation, with tram tracks beginning to appear on the racing line.
That eventually appeared and slicks were the order of the day in the final moments, prompting a busy conclusion to the session with all 20 drivers on track.
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McLaren boasts a sizeable upgrade this weekend, described by Lando Norris as the first meaningful package since the Miami Grand Prix in May.
The Brit did top the session, banking a 1:20.392s on a set of intermediate tyres shortly after the midway point of the practice hour.
It was not altogether unexpected, the McLaren expected to perform well at Zandvoort.
Piastri was the first driver to brave slick tyres, a set of softs bolted on to his car.
The circuit remained damp in places, though race control felt it appropriate to declare “Normal Grip Conditions” with 11 minutes remaining.
Piastri did not immediately push the limits; faster than his own previous bests but not the fastest of the session.
That went to Norris, who logged a 1:17.367s – still around six seconds down on the same session from 2023.
Those times quickly dropped as confidence grew and track conditions improved, but it again highlighted the risk-averse approach Piastri has trademarked through practice.
Max Verstappen remained in the garage for the opening 30 minutes, becoming the first on intermediate tyres when he did finally emerge.
A clout of the kerbing at Turn 11 pitched the Dutchman around into a harmless spin.
That followed another moment earlier in the lap, running wide at Tarzan and narrowly avoiding dropping a wheel on the grass on the outside of the left-hander.
As conditions improved, so did Verstappen, who ended the session with the second fastest time.
He’d briefly gone fastest, before Norris bested him by two-tenths as the chequered flag waved.
When Verstappen head out on the inter tyres, Lewis Hamilton followed the championship leader’s approach.
That coincided with the sun breaking through, George Russell also swapping to the shallower grooved rubber.
Russell went fastest with 25 minutes remaining, a 1:20.444, highlighting the improved conditions.
That time didn’t stand as conditions improved though the Mercedes driver remained rapid and towards the top of the timesheets as that process occurred.
Hamilton ended the session third best, with Russell fifth, highlighting Mercedes potential again this weekend.
Though it has no updates this weekend, Ferrari had fitted aero rakes to its cars ahead of the session.
However, when it became clear that the weather was far from ideal, they were removed once more.
Charles Leclerc was the first to bank a lap, recording a 1:26.530s after 18 minutes of running.
As the field swapped to slick rubber, Leclerc had a set of mediums fitted to his car, as did team-mate Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard was fourth quickest, while Leclerc was only 13th, painting a mixed picture for the Scuderia.
Daniel Ricciardo was 19th fastest, though his time was far from representative at 3.9s off Norris’ pace.
It proved a difficult session for drivers, especially in the early minutes when the track was wet.
In the opening minutes, Nico Hulkenberg came leading the track at Turn 10 and bouncing through the gravel.
The German pinched the front-left brake which saw him skate off the road at comparatively low-speed.
It wasn’t his only off, leaving the road at Turn 9 in remarkably similar fashion – this time the front-right pinching.
A third off saw him leave the track at Tarzan, the first former, after he locked the front-right wheel.
He was able to use the escape road and return chute but suggested an issue with the Haas.
Pierre Gasly also slipped off the road at Turn 1, the Frenchman going too deep on the intermediate rubber with 21 minutes to go.
Like Hulkenberg, he was able to get out the other side of the gravel trap and rejoined without harm.
Sergio Perez had also toured the scenery there, as did Carlos Sainz, with gusting winds picking up – a tail wind into Tarzan.
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