Dutch Grand Prix: Max Verstappen Takes Home Pole

 

Max Verstappen made most of home advantage at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort to finish in pole while his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez spun over the curb in the final lap and finished later in the fourth.

Charles Leclerc had delivered the fastest lap in Q3 before the Dutch driver cancelled out his pace by going fastest to take the pole 0.021s quicker than the Ferrari driver. Verstappen was welcomed with thundering applause from the crowds as he sped past the finish line. 

"Ver, very close. Max did a great lap in the end," said Leclerc. "In Q3 the car came together and I managed to do that lap which was close enough for P2."

Leclerc was the fastest of the second and third practice while the Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton took a one-two lead for Mercedes in the first practice - Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was in the third.

"We are much stronger here than last week," he added. "Our race-pace is quite strong, we need to do a great start and then we'll see."

Perez, at the final corner of Q3, spun over and drifted off over the curb and the yellow flag was out. That ruined the chances of Hamilton beating Verstappen on the pole. 

Sainz in the end finished third while Hamilton will start in fourth tomorrow. Russell came sixth behind Perez who will start in fifth.