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      ‘F*** up’ – Hamilton still has faith in Mercedes despite X-rated blast after error allowed Verstappen to win Dutch GP

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      THIS felt like a case of déjà vu.Lewis Hamilton in the lead while driving behind the safety car – only to be passed by the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who would go on to take the glory.
      Lewis Hamilton was left raging at his Mercedes team at the Dutch GPCredit: PA
      Max Verstappen went on to claim the victory in his homelandCredit: Getty
      There was also the tin-foil hat brigade on social media casting wild accusations of a conspiracy after Red Bull’s sister team had sparked a rather strange virtual safety car.
      The scars from those wounds inflicted at last year’s controversial finale in Abu Dhabi are still obvious at Mercedes.
      But there was no need for an inquest here. No race director sacking, either. Just a good old passionate outburst in obvious frustration after a team cock-up.
      Hamilton fumed over the radio at his team: “That was the biggest f*** up.”.
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      He later added: “I can’t believe you guys f****** screwed me. I can’t tell you how p***** I am.”
      Hamilton came home in fourth place behind teammate George Russell and Charles Leclec, who finished in second and third place respectively.
      He later apologised for his language used towards his team but didn’t for his passion.
      Quite why Mercedes failed to pit Hamilton – when they did his teammate Russell – will be unpicked at their Brackley HQ today.
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      But once he had cooled down after his rant on the team’s radio, Hamilton was adamant they ARE still the best in the business – despite the error which denied him a long-awaited win.
      When asked if he felt whether Mercedes had the right staff in place, Hamilton was definite.
      “One hundred percent we do,” he said: “This team are a group of young, super-determined individuals.
      “Some have been here as long as me or longer. They continue to be motivated every year. I 1,000 percent believe we have the right team in place.
      “Today wasn’t an easy call. Of course we could always look back at all the scenarios and see what we could have done or if we would have made a different choice.
      “But that’s not life. You just learn from it. I was hopeful to get a podium. I was hopeful to get a first or second at least but we move on.”
      It was a thrilling race from start to finish. Hamilton nearly collided with Carlos Sainz on the first lap when they came dangerously close to touching.
      But this week there was no repeat of the incident which ended his race on lap one of the Belgian GP just seven days earlier.
      He was three seconds behind pole-sitter Verstappen before Hamilton started cutting his way back into the race.
      He tangled with Sergio Perez as the Mexican driver put up a spirited fight before Hamilton finally squeezed past on lap 36.
      On the hard tyre, Hamilton started cutting into Verstappen’s lead in the hope of going the race distance with only one pitstop.
      But that strategy went out the window on lap 47 when Yuki Tsunoda complained of feeling his wheels were not fitted correctly.
      The Japanese driver made a pitstop but came out back on track only to pull over to the side and the race director deployed the virtual safety car, which allowed Verstappen to make a stop for fresh tyres.
      It played into his hands as he was able to maintain his place at the front.
      But on lap 56, it was Hamilton’s turn for a long-overdue slice of luck.
      It came in the form of a retirement for his chum Valtteri Bottas, whose Alfa Romeo conked out.
      Verstappen decided to stop again, but curiously Hamilton had stayed out, promoting him to the lead.
      Merc boss Toto Wolff admitted it was a tough call not to bring Hamilton in for tyresCredit: Splash
      But rather than stopping for tyres himself, Mercedes kept him out on track and he was left a sitting duck when the race resumed on lap 66.
      It was all too easy as Verstappen swooped past into turn one and into the lead and on his way to victory.
      Hamilton’s chances of his first win of the season were extinguished and he then saw his podium disappear too, as he was eventually passed by Russell and Charles Leclerc.
      Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff admitted it was a tough call not to bring Hamilton in for tyres.
      He said: “It’s right [he’s angry], because the pitwall and strategists try to calculate probabilities and come up with the best possible decisions.
      “It all came so quickly. It was so tremendously difficult to make the right judgement call and especially if you have two drivers that are competing against each other.
      “One is going to be upset and the other one is going to be happy and that’s the swing and just acknowledge that the frustration on one side is always there.
      “Every single day of my life, I’d rather risk everything for winning the race rather than cementing second and third.
      “We get emotional in the race. And when you’re the driver in the car, it just comes out and you can’t stop it.
      “We are the trash can, the vomit bag in the aeroplane. And we’re taking all that because we need to.
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      “This is how it has always been in a relationship between a frustrated driver and the pitwall.
      “We decided to take a risk that really backfired for him. But there’s more positives to take and this is what we chatted about.” More

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      ‘That was the biggest f*** up’ – Lewis Hamilton fumes at Mercedes after blowing chance to win first Grand Prix of season

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      LEWIS HAMILTON fumed at Mercedes for blowing his chance of winning his first Grand Prix of season. Hamilton was leading in Holland with team-mate George Russell in second and arch rival Max Verstappen placed third.
      Lewis Hamilton during the Dutch GPCredit: Alamy
      But as Mercedes brought Russell into pits to put fast tyres on, it allowed Verstappen to close the gap.
      The Dutchman and Russell eventually overtook Hamilton, leaving the seven-time champion fuming.
      He said: “I can’t believe you screwed me like that. I can’t tell you how p****d I am.”
      He was also heard saying on radio: “That was the biggest f*** up.”
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      Hamilton’s day ended in misery as he failed to secure a podium spot, finishing in fourth.
      Reigning champion Verstappen made it a winning return on home soil with Russell in second.
      Charles Leclerc came third meaning Hamilton came away with nothing.
      And it had fans online calling for the Brit to LEAVE Mercedes after being cost his pole position.
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      One said: “Mercedes and George Russell just cost Lewis Hamilton the win. Make no mistake.”
      Another said: “Lewis Hamilton has to leave Mercedes, please.”
      One added: “Sorry, but I think this is the race that changes everything. Lewis Hamilton needs to leave Mercedes.
      “That call is not something that can be ignored.”
      Another commented: “Nah, Mercedes does not deserve Sir Lewis Hamilton.”
      Lewis Hamilton before the Dutch Grand PrixCredit: Getty More

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      Max Verstappen romps home in explosive Dutch GP after fuming Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes blow chance of maiden victory

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      LEWIS HAMILTON blasted his Mercedes team and accused them of making “the biggest f*** up” as he was denied a shot at winning the Dutch GP.A late safety car when Valtteri Bottas conked out turned this excellent race on its head as Hamilton stayed out on track while Max Verstappen pitted from the lead.
      Max Verstappen’s win was his 10th of the seasonCredit: Getty
      Verstappen now has a 109 point lead at the top of the Driver StandingsCredit: Getty
      Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton with 11 laps left of the Dutch GPCredit: Getty
      It promoted the Brit to first place but Mercedes failed to call him in for fresh tyres – unlike teammate George Russell.
      There were parallels of that ill-fated race in Abu Dhabi last December as when the race restarted, he was a sitting duck.
      Verstappen powered past the helpless Mercedes man, who vented his frustration over the radio.
      He said: “That was the biggest f*** up. I can’t believe you guys screwed me.
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      “I can’t tell you how p***** I am. I can’t believe how much you guys f***ed me”.
      Hamilton came home in fourth place behind Russell and Charles Leclec who finished in second and third place respectively.
      Verstappen’s home win – his fourth in a row and 10th of the season – means he has a whopping 109 points lead over Leclerc.
      But just how Merc stuffed Hamilton up will take some unpicking as questions will again resurface about whether he intends to remain in the team.
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      Verstappen said: “It was not a straightforward race. We had to push and with the safety cars it was important to make the right calls.
      “Before that safety car I thought I was OK to the end, but when it came out I didn’t think we could keep it up if we didn’t pit.
      “But I had a good run at the restart and into turn one. We timed it really well into the banking and got the draft right and got it done.
      “It is always special to win your home GP. I had to work for it even more but a great weekend.”
      Russell who was second said: “As a team, we showed incredible pace and not what we hoped for.
      “But we can take a lot of confidence moving forward and we are slowly getting closer to that top step and hope we can catch them.” More

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      F1 Dutch Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen WINS race after overtaking Hamilton as Brit furious with Mercedes – updates

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN won his home race at the F1 Dutch Grand Prix after some late drama involving Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. The world champ is now getting closer to his second successive world title, but Hamilton has yet to win a race so far this season.
      The Brit was furious with his Mercedes team-mate Russell and the paddock after a mix-up over pitting the younger driver late on in the race.

      Grand Prix start time: Sunday, Sept 4 – 2pm BST
      TV channel UK: Sky Sports F1
      Live stream: Now TV

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      Keep up to date with all the action from Zandvoort below…
      All eyes turn to Monza
      The scene of Daniel Riccairdo’s famous win last year, Monza will host things again next week as we approach the long-haul trips, starting in Singapore.
      Will we see a surprise win again? Or will it be more Verstappen brilliance as he closes in on back-to-back titles.
      You can be sure to find all the coverage here next week!
      Sainz out the points
      In a day which never went his way, mostly not down to him, Carlos Sainz’s five-second penalty saw him finish outside the points.
      Verstappen driver of the day
      100% driver of the day win rate since the mid-season break for Max Verstappen!

      Hamilton’s pain is Russell’s gain
      While Hamilton lost out late due to the strategy, his teammate benefitted to match his best ever finish in F1.
      I’m sure that’ll be great news for the seven-time champion.
      Hamilton’s inquest begins
      Well, the seven-time champion is certainly going to be asking some questions of his team after that.
      The Englishman was leading the race before the two quick safety car situations, and the team took any protection away from him by pitting Russell and not him for soft tyres.
      Verstappen jubilant
      It sometimes feels like Max Verstappen doesn’t quite know what to do when on that top step anymore, it happens so often.
      Another fantastic display from him in front of his home fans.
      Top three take their place on podium
      Leclerc, Russell and the winner Verstappen are welcomed to the podium, as they celebrate their achievements from a manic Dutch GP.
      Leclerc: “Max was too quick today”
      In a race that looked like it was completely getting away from the Ferraris, Leclerc seems relatively content with a podium today.
      Russell plays off Hamilton incident
      “We like to keep it close” Russell joked after coming close to hitting his teammate when overtaking late.
      Verstappen clearly overwhelmed with support
      In an interview with Sky Sports he ends it with: “Proud to be Dutch.”
      Another great result for Red Bull.
      Hamilton will be seething
      It’s gone from Hamilton set to fight for the win with about 25 laps to go, to him finishing outside the podium places yet again.
      Frustrations will be high in that car right about now.
      Russell finishes second!
      The tyre change seemed the right choice for Russell, as he finishes ahead of Leclerc in third!
      MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE DUTCH GP!
      105,000 fans go crazy!
      Lap 71/72 – Verstappen cruising home
      The Dutchman has opened up a four second lead at the top and this place is about to explode!
      Lap 70/72 – Perez forced off!
      Perez tried to overtake Sainz and was forced off the track.
      With Sainz’s penalty, the overtake is really not necessary.
      Lap 68/72 – Sainz five second time penalty!
      The unsafe release has seen him punished, and he will currently be outside the top 10 as it stands.
      Lap 67/72 – Norris fighting Alonso
      The battle for fourth in the constructors championship is heating up as Norris is fighting to get past Alonso.
      Lap 66/72 – Leclerc into third!
      It goes from bad to worse for Hamilton as he’s out the podium places!
      Lap 65/72 – Hamilton not happy
      The Mercedes driver is furious with his team, and is now holding on from Leclerc who has come from nowhere to be challenging for a podium.
      Lap 64/72 – Russell overtakes Hamilton!
      The pair nearly collided, but it’s the apprentice overtaking the master with nine laps to go.
      Lap 62/72 – Do Mercedes swap drivers over?
      With Russell on soft tyres, is he better placed to fight Verstappen? He’s already 1.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton.
      Lap 61/72 – Verstappen overtakes Hamilton!
      The Dutchman was ahead before the first corner!
      Lap 60/72 – Safety car ends
      Here we go then, can Hamilton hold up Verstappen?
      Lap 59/72 – Sainz and Alonso almost collide in the pits
      The Ferrari driver was certainly released unsafely right in front of the Alpine, and that’ll certainly be looked at.
      Lap 58/72 – Russell pits
      Russell asks for soft tyres and comes in, although he now rejoins behind Verstappen.
      Load more entries… More

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      Max Verstappen slams ‘stupid’ orange-clad F1 fans who threw smoke bombs on track after taking pole for Dutch GP

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN sent the orange-clad fans wild by taking pole for the Dutch GP — then slammed the “stupid” ones who threw smoke bombs on the track.Qualifying had to be stopped as a flare was removed from the live race track, while the spectator was identified and chucked out of the circuit.
      Qualifying was stopped when a flare was thrown onto the trackCredit: Getty
      The home crowd let off multiple orange flares in support of Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
      The stands were a sea of orange in support of the Dutch starCredit: Rex
      Max Verstappen secured yet another pole position for his home raceCredit: Getty
      A second flare was lobbed on to the track in the final part of qualifying in another dangerous moment — but then thankfully it rolled off the circuit and away from the passing cars.
      Dutch Red Bull driver Verstappen blasted certain individuals who made up the 105,000 crowd at Zandvoort.
      He said: “To hold flares, it’s nice, but there’s a limit to how much. However, to then throw them on the track is just stupid.
      “The person who did that got removed. Just don’t do that. It’s not good for anyone.
      Read More In F1
      “You get thrown out, so you can’t see the race. And for us the session is stopped because it’s dangerous, there’s stuff on the track. So you shouldn’t do it.”
      It comes after Dutch fans were accused of sexual harassment, racism and homophobia at the Austrian Grand Prix.
      There were also incidents of burning Lewis Hamilton merchandise in Hungary and altercations with the police in Spa.
      Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will start the race in second place, also condemned the flare-throwing fans.
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      He added: “It’s dangerous, so don’t do this type of thing. This shouldn’t happen.
      “I don’t know if in the future we can do anything to avoid that. If a car is passing at that time, then it can create unnecessary risk.” 
      A spin in the final seconds for Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez put paid to Hamilton’s chances of challenging for a front-row start.
      The Mercedes man was forced to slow down due to the yellow flags waved for Perez’s stricken car.
      However, he is confident after a strong performance all weekend and is looking to make up for his first-lap crash at Spa last weekend.
      Hamilton said: “I was much happier coming into this weekend, to have a car that’s potentially fighting.
      “But I just don’t understand, one weekend it can be so far off and the next weekend, all of a sudden, we’re right there. It’s confusing.
      “But there are lots of positives to take from today. 
      “If we hadn’t had the yellow flag we would have been fighting for the front row.
      “The potential is there but I have no idea whether the car is going to be good or bad at the next races.
      “It’s like a mood swing. Like the characteristics of a human being, you don’t know what side of the bed you’re going to get out of.”
      When quizzed about his chances of making it on to the podium, the Brit added: “I am definitely optimistic, it’s just difficult to overtake here — so we’ll see.
      “I felt I could go quicker, so I hope that translates for the race, but I will definitely be pushing as hard as I can for a podium.”
      Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell was also denied a higher starting berth on the grid due to Perez’s late error.
      And the Brit, who will start in sixth place on the grid, also had his say on the flares — which were prohibited by security and smuggled in.
      He said: “The fans and the atmosphere here is one of the best of the season, it’s impressive what they’ve done with it as an event.
      “But you can’t mess around with things like this. It’s just a shame for everyone else.
      “How dangerous are they? If you run over it, it’s quite sharp, it could give you a puncture. It could be harmless or cause a lot of damage.
      Read More on The Sun
      “It’s quite a spectacle seeing it in the stands — but I can’t imagine if you’re standing there it’s the most pleasant thing to be beside.
      “It would be a shame seeing them totally banned, because it’s part of the show now, but I’d like to see people show a bit more common sense.”
      Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s race fourth on the gridCredit: Getty More

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      Who is F1 star George Russell’s girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt, how long has she been with the Mercedes driver?

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      GEORGE RUSSELL has impressed this season as Mercedes’ new F1 superstar. The Brit has put in some sterling performances with Lewis Hamilton by his side in the paddock.
      Carmen Mundt enjoyed some time at a Miami Heat game with George Russell earlier this yearCredit: Instagram @carmenmmundt
      Mercedes driver George Russell enjoys trip to the country side with girlfriend Carmen MundtCredit: Instagram / @carmenmmundt
      Though the driving starlet has yet to win a Grand Prix, there seems to be plenty for Russell to be getting excited about in his career.
      But his personal life is flourishing nicely too, as Russell’s girlfriend is investment broker Carmen Montero Mundt.

      Who is Carmen Montero Mundt?
      Mundt has been in a relationship with Russell since 2020, months after the latter finished things with his ex-girlfriend.
      Russell split with former flame Seychelle de Vries, who is the sister of ex-Mercedes academy team-mate Nyck de Vries.
      Not much has been said in public by Russell about Mundt, who has been pictured alongside her man at F1 races on numerous ocassions.
      Mundt was a student at the University of Westminster and studied for a degree in business management and finance.
      After graduating, Mundt took up a job working for investman firm W1 Investment group as a client relationship intern.
      But she moved onto Ruffer LLP in 2022, becoming an investor relations associate.
      Carmen Mundt works as an investment broker with Ruffer LLPCredit: Instagram @carmenmmundt
      Carmen Mundt has travelled the world with George Russell since making their relationsjip officialCredit: Instagram @carmenmmundt
      Since making things official with Russell, the pair have travelled the globe together thanks to the Brit’s driving exploits.
      But they’ve holidayed for pleasure too, as the pair were pictures soaking up the sun in St Barts last year.
      They also attended the premiere of James Bond film ‘No Time To Die’ in 2021.
      And after Russell’s move to Mercedes, Mundt posted on Instagram to congratulate her partner on his big move, writing: “All smiles. So proud @georgerussell63.”
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      Max Verstappen puts gearbox disaster behind him to take pole for Dutch Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton starting fourth

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN sent the orange-clad fans wild by taking pole for the Dutch GP – then slammed the “stupid” ones to threw smoke bombs onto the track.Qualifying had to be stopped as one flare was removed from the live race track while the fan was identified and chucked out of the circuit.
      Max Verstappen pipped Charles Leclerc to pole by 0.021 secondsCredit: Getty
      A second flare was lobbed onto the track in the final part of qualifying in another dangerous moment, but thankfully it rolled off the circuit and away from the passing cars.
      Verstappen blasted the individuals who made up the 105,000 crowd at Zandvoort.
      He said: “To hold flares already, it’s nice but there’s a limit to how much. But to throw it on the track is just stupid.
      “The person who did that got removed. Just don’t do that. It’s not good for anyone.
      “You get thrown out so you can’t see the race and for us the session is stopped because it’s dangerous, there’s stuff on the track. So you shouldn’t do it.”
      It comes after Dutch fans were accused of sexual harassment, racism and homophobia at Austrian Grand Prix.
      READ MORE IN F1
      There were also incidents of them burning Lewis Hamilton merchandise in Hungary and altercations with police in Spa.
      Charles Leclerc, who will start today’s race in second place, condemned the actions of those who threw the missles.
      He added: “It’s dangerous, so don’t do this type of thing. This shouldn’t happen.
      “I don’t know if in the future we can do anything to avoid that. If a car is passing at that time, then it can create unnecessary risk.”
      A spin in the final seconds for Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez put pay to Lewis Hamilton’s chances of challenging for a front-row start.
      The Mercedes man was forced to slow due to the yellow flags waved for Perez’s stricken car.
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      However, he is confident after a strong performance all weekend and looking to make up for his first-lap crash at Spa last weekend.
      He said: “I was much happier coming into this weekend, to have a car that’s potentially fighting but I just don’t understand.
      “One weekend it can be so far off and the next weekend, all of a sudden, we’re right there, so it’s confusing.
      “But there are lots of positives to take from today. If we hadn’t had the yellow flag we would have been fighting for the front row.
      “The potential is there but I have no idea whether the car is going to be good or bad at the next races.
      “It’s like a mood swing. Like the characteristics of a human being, you don’t know what side of the bed you’re going to get out of.”
      When quizzed about his chance of making it on to the podium, he added: “I am definitely optimistic it’s just difficult to overtake here so we’ll see.
      Leclerc congratulates his championship rival on pole positionCredit: The Mega Agency
      Lewis Hamilton looked quicker today but could only manage to get up to fourthCredit: Getty
      “I felt I could go quicker so I hope that that translates for the race, but I’ll definitely be pushing as hard as I can for a podium.”
      Hamilton’s teammate George Russell was also denied a higher-starting berth on the grid due to Perez’s late error.
      And the Brit, who will start in sixth place on the grid, also had his say on the flares, which were prohibited by security and smuggled in.
      He said: “The fans here and the atmosphere here is one of the best of the season, it’s impressive what they’ve done as an event.
      “But you can’t mess around with things like this. It’s a shame for everyone else.
      “How dangerous are they? If you run over it it’s quite sharp, it could give you a puncture. It could be harmless or cause a lot of damage.
      Read More on The Sun
      “It’s quite a spectacle seeing it in the fans but can’t imagine if you’re standing there it’s the most pleasant thing to be within.
      “It’d be a shame seeing them totally banned because it’s part of the show now but I’d like to see people show a bit more common sense.” More

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      F1 Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen claims POLE as Hamilton fourth-fastest, Ferraris in 2nd and 3rd

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN starts on pole for the Dutch Grand Prix as Red Bull’s qualifying plan went to a tee.Lewis Hamilton will start on the second row after setting the fourth-fastest time.
      Both Ferraris are ahead of the Brit and behind Verstappen at Zandvoort.

      Grand Prix start time: Sunday, Sept 4 – 2pm BST
      Stream/TV: Sky Sports F1

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      Keep up to date with all the action from Zandvoort below…
      Russell’s disappointment
      George Russell has spoken about his disappointment in qualifying in P6 for the Dutch Grand Prix.
      He told Sky Sports: “The car has been feeling great all weekend and I had a really strong feeling after FP3.
      “But it just didn’t really click for me and I don’t really know why.
      “Ultimately it was a a lack of performance in Q2 that cost me in Q3 because we had to take those second set of tyres, so I only had the one set available in Q3 and obviously with the yellow flag, I couldn’t get my lap in. A little bit frustrating.”
      Verstappen is P1.
      Leclerc is second and Sainz is third.
      Hamilton will start fourth and Perez in fifth. Russell will line up in sixth place.
      Verstappen takes pole
      The fans go crazy as he take pole…and there is drama on the final lap as Perez spins.
      He loses control of the Red Bull and that brings out the yellow flags.
      That denies Hamilton, who has to slow down on his final attempt.
      Leclerc goes quicker
      But Verstappen is flying….
      Two minutes to go
      Final flying laps to decide the grid.
      Leclerc goes even quicker
      This is shaping up nicely. Leclerc, Verstappen and then Hamilton. Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes.
      Then Sainz, Perez, Russell. A repeat of Ferrari, Red Bull and Merc for 4th, 5th and sixth.
      Scruffy lap from Verstappen too
      He has even more time to find in that car after replays showed him going wide.
      He is looking very strong.
      Verstappen takes provisional pole
      Quickest time of the day for the Dutchman. Perez is a whopping 0.5 seconds off.
      Q3 is go
      The battle for the top 10. Can anyone deny Verstappen?
      Q2 is done Alonso is out
      The two time world champion is eliminated from Q2 and starts 13th – behind his teammate Esteban Ocon.
      Gasly, Zhou and Albon are also out but that is a blow for Alpine, who are disappointing.
      Seven minutes to go
      And Alonso, Schumacher, Tsunoda, Zhou and Ocon are in the drop zone.
      Q2 has resumed
      The pigeons and flare have been removed and we are off again.
      Just over 12 minutes to go.
      Red Flag – Session stopped due to a flare on the track
      Live race track and yet someone has thrown a flare onto it. Crazy.
      Ricciardo is out in Q1
      Another dreadful weekend for the McLaren driver. He is down in 18th place.
      Bottas, Magnussen, Vettel and Latifi are also out.
      Mistake for Vettel
      He locks up and goes into the gravel. He’s down in 19th place and out of Q1.
      Russell goes P2
      And Hamilton is P3. This is going to be close
      Verstappen sets the pace
      His first lap is 1:11.317 and Perez crosses the line and is over a second slower.
      It is Verstappen, Sainz, Leclerc and Perez.
      Where are Mercedes?
      They are both on their flying laps
      Qualifying is underway in Zandvoort
      Green light in the pitlane and the cars are streaming out on to the track.
      Can anyone stop Verstappen from taking pole in his home race?
      FP3 is done – Leclerc is quickest
      The Ferrari man tops the time sheets in the final session with a time of 1:11.632 just 0.066 seconds quicker than Russell, who is in P2.
      Verstappen is in P3 and Sainz in P4 and Hamilton in P5.
      Leclerc goes even better
      He has set the fastest time in all three sectors and goes into P1. Russell moves into P2. Sainz in P3 and Verstappen is now down to fourth.
      Game on!
      Sainz goes quickest
      Maybe someone can stop the Verstappen run. He goes into P1, 0.225 seconds.
      Verstappen is still looking strong
      He is in P1, Leclerc in P2 and Hamilton in P3. Sainz is fourth and Russell in fifth.
      Verstappen is a whopping 0.524 seconds quicker than Leclerc.
      Verstappen is setting the pace
      The Dutchman is in P1 some 0.625 seconds over Russell, who is in P2.
      Early days yet but already signs that the world champion is back on it after his gearbox problem yesterday.
      FP3 is go
      Final practice has got the green light in Zandvoort. Red Bull have their work cut out after a slow start to the weekend on Friday.
      Mercedes and Ferrari will be hoping their early pace continues.
      Lewis and Alonso make up
      Lewis Hamilton cooled his rift with rival Fernando Alonso by insisting he is trying to “be a better driver”.
      The seven-time world champion was blasted as “an idiot” by the Spaniard after they crashed on the first lap of last Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
      Hamilton accepted the blame for the incident that forced his retirement from the race despite being cleared by the stewards.
      The 37-year-old then joked on social media that he’d offer Alonso a signed cap as a peace offering.
      And the Alpine driver duly collected the hat ahead of this weekend’s Dutch GP after meeting Hamilton and clearing the air.

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