Formula 1: Desperate Verstappen continues to fight – Norris and Russell fastest in Dutch practice
Lando Norris (McLaren) and George Russell (Mercedes) both showed solid pace as they won their respective practice sessions at Zandvoort in the Netherlands on Friday.
McLaren driver Norris beat World Championship leader Max Verstappen by 0.2 seconds in the first practice session, with Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) following with the third fastest time.
In the second practice session, Mercedes driver Russell was six hundredths ahead of Oscar Piastri (McLaren). Five hundredths behind, Hamilton took 3rd place. Verstappen then finished in fifth place.
– There is a lot of work to be done. We don’t have a clear answer at the moment on how it will go faster, but it is something we are considering. A bit slower. It’s as simple as that, Verstappen said after practice.
The Dutch Formula 1 star is on his longest winning streak since 2020. Mercedes has won three of the last four major races. Russell won in Austria on June 30, while Hamilton won at Silverstone and Spa. In Hungary, Piastri took victory after Norris followed team orders to let his teammate pass him.
Verstappen leads the overall WC by 78 points from Norris before the Formula 1 weekend in the Netherlands.
(NTB)
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