F1 2024 Dutch GP LIVE: FP2 schedule, start time, updates and results as George Russell goes quickest

On Friday, fresh from a four-week summer break, Lando Norris threw down the gauntlet from the get-go on the coast of the North Sea in Zandvoort. At the conclusion of a wet-turned-dry opening practice session, the McLaren driver – playing the role of world championship contender for the first time in his career – went faster than home Dutch hero Max Verstappen, three times a world champion.

With 10 races left this season, it is an order on the leaderboard which will need repeating over the coming weeks if this year’s F1 title race is to go down to the wire.

If you’d asked Norris and McLaren at the start of the season that, post-summer break, they would be in second place with a deficit of less than 80 points to top spot, they’d have taken it and driven off into the distance. The stark reality is, however, that the gap should be tighter than the current 78-point margin.

Christian Horner admits he is “relieved” that the appeal from a female colleague alleging “inappropriate behaviour” was dismissed in the F1 summer break.

Red Bull F1 chief executive and team principal Horner was originally cleared of any wrongdoing back in March, having been accused by a female member of staff of “coercive, inappropriate behaviour.”

Horner, 50, was exonerated on the eve of the opening race of the season in Bahrain before a deluge of sexually suggestive texts – allegedly between Horner and the complainant – were leaked to members of the paddock. The veracity of the texts have not been verified, since it came from an anonymous email address.

The complainant was then suspended on full pay before launching an appeal. But on 8 August, her appeal was thrown out following another investigation by a different independent KC – with Red Bull adding that their “internal process has concluded.”

The session concludes with the grid setting a number of race simulation laps – amid windy conditions – and so George Russell remains on top with that time of 1:10:702.

Oscar Piastri was within a tenth for McLaren in second, with Lewis Hamilton in third – a tenth off his team-mate.

4-10: Norris, Verstappen, Alonso, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Leclerc, Albon

George Russell goes fastest as the race simulations begin – he sets a 1:10:702, 0.061 secs quicker than Oscar Piastri in second.

Lewis Hamilton is third, a tenth off, with Lando Norris 0.259 secs off Russell and Max Verstappen 0.284 secs off.

6-10: Alonso, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Leclerc, Albon

Sergio Perez is down in P12 – 20 minutes to go…

The McLaren driver is top of the timesheet with a 1:10:961, 0.025 secs quicker than Max Verstappen. Five-tenths further back is Sergio Perez, as the track times ramp up with drivers switching to the soft tyre.

Lewis Hamilton – top a moment ago – is down to P6!

Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is out for the remainder of the session due to a gearbox issue. Far from ideal.

The seven-time world champion – who has not won at Zandvoort – is quickest in the first 20 minutes with a 1:11:833, three-tenths faster than Max Verstappen.

3-10: Russell, Alonso, Norris, Stroll, Albon, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Piastri

Smooth running thus far…

Russell a bit in the dark as he goes straight at turn 9 and into the gravel!

Russell: “Little bit strange.”

Perez endures something similar at turn 1. While it’s no longer wet out on track, it is still very windy here on the North Sea coast!

10 minutes gone, Max Verstappen up top early on.

It’s dry and sunny this afternoon in Zandvoort – in contrast to this morning’s rain – and it’s time for the second hour of practice!

Pierre Gasly leads a fairly substantial queue out of the pit-lane… all 20 cars straight out on track here!