LANDO NORRIS was the best of the rest as Max Verstappen took another pole position – and did so by a landslide.
The Dutchman only needed one quick lap as he took a comfortable pole ahead of British duo Norris and George Russell.
Verstappen, who is going in search of a record-equalling ninth straight win, was over half a second clear from the rest of the field in damp conditions at Zandvoort.
And Norris admits he has a slim chance of beating the Red Bull ace in tomorrow’s Dutch GP.
When quizzed if he could fight Verstappen for the win, Norris said: “I’ll try and challenge for two laps and then he’ll probably drive away.
“Max is always on another level when it comes to race day.”
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“I’m happy still. P2 was a good result in these kind of conditions.
“Every now and then you hope Max makes a mistake, but he doesn’t, so it is frustrating in a little way. But I’m very happy. The team did a good job.
“The first half of the [final] lap was mega but the second half was probably one of the worst second halves I’ve done.”
Verstappen knows another win will level Vettel’s incredible achievement but says he’s not focused on breaking records.
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He said: “After five wins in a row, Seb texted me and said ‘you’re doing a good job, keep it going’ but nine in a row is impressive, and to be on eight.
“If it is possible I will go for it, but it is not in the back of my head. I am not here to break records, just win in the moment.”
Russell will line up in third place on the grid while his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton had a miserable afternoon and qualified way down in 13th.
It was a crucial result for Russell, who says he had struggled with his form in Saturday’s qualifying sessions.
He said: “Qualifying was one of my strengths at the start of the year, but the last few races before the break were a little scrappy.
“So it was good to have the break with a fresh pair of eyes and to come back back in the groove.”
Verstappen’s pole came after two delays as some drivers struggled with the drying track after a heavy downpour.
First there was a wait for over 30 minutes as marshals repaired the barriers after Logan Sargeant crashed his Williams.
And then Charles Leclerc somewhat-embarrassingly lost control of his Ferrari and slid off into the barriers.
Meanwhile, Hamilton is hoping he can improve on his poor qualifying performance.
He only just made it into Q2 after being caught up in traffic.
The Brit was then a shock elimination from the second session as he failed to reach the top 10.
The seven-time world champion was stuck behind Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri and unable to string a lap together.
He said: “I did two fast laps in the end and the tyres overheated, so I couldn’t improve on the last lap.
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“Hopefully, when the car is heavier maybe we can progress forward in the race.
“It’s not an easy track to move forward on, but tomorrow’s a new day and I will give it my best.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
