Dutch Grand Prix Practice Snapshot
ZANDVOORT: Lando Norris of McLaren thwarted Max Verstappen's bid for a flawless Friday, denying the home favorite from topping the time charts in the second practice for the Dutch Grand Prix.
In the initial session, Verstappen set the pace as he navigated Zandvoort's coastal circuit, surrounded by his vibrant orange-clad supporters, with an impressive time of one minute 11.852 seconds.
However, it was Norris who emerged as the fastest overall, securing a lap of 1:11.330 during the late afternoon, edging out the two-time Formula One world champion by a mere 0.023 seconds.
While the Briton took the lead, his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri was part of a dual Australian crash with Daniel Ricciardo from AlphaTauri.
Early on, Piastri collided with the tire wall at the banked turn three, leading Ricciardo, with no other options, to follow him into the barriers, prompting red flags to be waved.
Ricciardo seemed to be in discomfort as he struggled to exit the car and was subsequently taken to the hospital for wrist examinations.
Verstappen aims to secure his ninth consecutive victory on Sunday, a feat that would match the decade-old record set by the now-retired Sebastian Vettel. With 12 out of 22 races completed, the 25-year-old leads his Mexican teammate Sergio Perez by 125 points.
In the first session, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso achieved the second-best time, trailing Verstappen by 0.278 seconds, while the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes secured the third spot.
On those time charts, Perez claimed the fourth position, trailing his teammate by 0.471 seconds, followed by Alex Albon from Williams in fifth and Norris in sixth.
During the second session, Albon advanced to the third position, with Hamilton securing fourth, and Yuki Tsunoda from AlphaTauri and Pierre Gasly from Alpine capturing the fifth and sixth positions, respectively. Perez secured the seventh position.
Red Bull's dominance has resulted in victory in every race this season, including the last 13 races in total. Verstappen is striving for his third consecutive Dutch Grand Prix win.
Nico Hulkenberg from Haas spun off into the gravel, nudging the tire wall with his front wing, prompting red flags during the first session.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who missed media obligations on Thursday due to an infection, failed to register a lap time in the first session after reporting an unusual noise. The team investigated a suspected power unit issue, and Stroll managed to secure the eighth-best time in the second session.
During the opening session, Israeli driver Robert Shwartzman took the place of Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in accordance with regulations mandating teams to field young drivers during the season. Shwartzman secured the 19th position, trailing by 2.951 seconds on medium tires.
Sainz secured the 16th position in the second session, while his teammate Charles Leclerc claimed the 11th spot.
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