Mercedes and McLaren Dominate Dutch Grand Prix Practice

Mercedes and McLaren showed strong performances in the Dutch Grand Prix practice, with George Russell and Lando Norris leading the sessions. Red Bull's Max Verstappen struggled, finishing fifth in front of his home crowd. The practice sessions were marked by changing weather conditions and significant team strategies.

Mercedes and McLaren made a statement during Friday's Dutch Grand Prix practice sessions. George Russell from Mercedes topped the second session's timesheets with a lap time of one minute 10.702 seconds. Meanwhile, Lando Norris of McLaren was fastest in the opening session, clocking in at 1:12.322.

Oscar Piastri, a teammate of Norris, was a close second in the late afternoon, trailing Russell by just 0.061 seconds. Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton finished third, with Norris taking fourth. Piastri commented, "It's been a good Friday. The pace looks pretty solid over one lap and the long run pace looks decent so far."

Despite his home advantage, Red Bull's Max Verstappen struggled, ending the session fifth. Verstappen's time was 0.284 seconds slower than Russell's best, while his teammate Sergio Perez placed 12th. Verstappen admitted, "We didn't quite have the pace on the long and short runs and at the moment there isn't a clear answer on how to improve this."

(With inputs from agencies.)