Norris takes pole as Zandvoort delivers a dramatic Saturday
Lando Norris put McLaren on pole for the final Dutch Grand Prix, producing a brilliant late lap to beat George Russell by just 0.102 seconds. Kimi Antonelli was only 0.031s further back in third, with Oscar Piastri fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth. Charles Leclerc qualified sixth, while Max Verstappen, Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten.
Qualifying became increasingly tense as rain arrived towards the end of the session. The conditions threatened to change the picture, but the circuit remained good enough for the drivers to improve. Norris had already done enough, however, and his final effort secured pole for Sunday's race.
It was another encouraging display from McLaren following Norris' victory in Hungary. After struggling to consistently fight at the front earlier in the season, the team now has Norris starting from pole at Zandvoort, while Piastri will line up alongside the leading contenders. The upgrades are beginning to provide some compelling evidence that McLaren may genuinely be back in the fight for wins.
Earlier in the day, George Russell had already shown Mercedes' pace by winning the Sprint from pole. Charles Leclerc took second after starting on the soft tyres, with Norris completing the podium. Antonelli finished fourth after challenging Norris late on, while Piastri and Verstappen followed in fifth and sixth.
The Sprint also provided plenty of action further down the field, while Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso started from the pit lane after their teams made changes to their cars under parc fermé conditions. With qualifying then producing such a tight fight at the front, the stage is set for a fascinating final Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday.