Formula 1 returns after a four-week summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort this weekend.

Max Verstappen claimed his eighth grand prix victory in a row last time out in Belgium and now returns to his home track, where he won last year and on its return to the calendar in 2021. The Dutchman is cruising to a third F1 world championship this season and currently holds a 125-point lead to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.

• Dutch Grand Prix PREVIEW: Can anyone beat Max Verstappen?

Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult weekend in Belgium and at Zandvoort will be looking to claim a first race win since Saudi Arabia in December 2021. The Mercedes star is one point behind third-placed Fernando Alonso in the championship.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed the final podium spot at Spa-Francorchamps which moved him up to fifth in the standings, level on points with Mercedes’ George Russell, while McLaren’s Lando Norris will be targeting a third podium in four races.

Follow live practice updates with The Independent

F1 DUTCH GRAND PRIX - PRACTICE

• Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch GP with broken wrist

• Max Verstappen was quickest in first practice; Alonso 2nd; Hamilton 3rd

• Lando Norris tops the leaderboard in FP2: Verstappen 2nd: Albon 3rd

• Daniel Ricciardo having medical assessment on his hand after crashing in second practice

• Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 F1 title

• F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise

BREAKING: Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix

18:17 , Kieran Jackson

Daniel Ricciardo has been ruled out of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix after breaking his wrist in practice on Friday.

The Australian, who returned to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri last month, hit the barrier in second practice after compatriot Oscar Piastri collided with the wall at the same corner moments earlier. It was later confirmed on Friday evening that Ricciardo had broken his wrist.

Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, 21, will replace Ricciardo for qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday in what will be his full F1 debut.

Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo taken to hospital after crash at Dutch Grand Prix

17:52 , Kieran Jackson

The second session was suspended after just 10 minutes when Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri and AlphaTauri’s Ricciardo crashed out at the same corner.

Australian Piastri, who has enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, lost control of his McLaren through the banked left-handed Turn 3 before slamming into the barriers.

Moments later, Ricciardo, who appeared distracted by the sight of Piastri’s wounded McLaren, locked up under braking before following his compatriot into the tyre wall.

Daniel Ricciardo taken to hospital after crash at Dutch Grand Prix

F1 returns with the now inevitable question: can anyone beat Max Verstappen?

16:52 , Mike Jones

When the Dutch Grand Prix returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021 – after a 36-year absence – organisers could frankly not have foreseen a future more favourable. A Dutch race reincarnated by-and-large due to a Dutch hero, timed exquisitely for his era of ultra-domination. To the extent that, now, anything other than a Max Verstappen triumph come Sunday would be as big a shock as Formula 1 has seen all season.

Verstappen-mania in the Netherlands has long been at fever pitch, with the ‘Orange Army’ previously travelling across Europe to support the man born in Belgium but with Holland in his heart. But now Zandvoort, on the coast of the North Sea, sees thousands make the journey from Amsterdam and beyond to revel and rave in this electro-music, orange-clad razzmatazz amid the sand dunes.

Verstappen, coasting to a third-straight F1 championship title this season with a 125-point lead with 10 races remaining, is on track to break more ground. Win on Sunday and he will equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive victories from 10 years ago, also set while at Red Bull. On Friday, fresh from a four-week break, he set down an ominous marker by going fastest in first practice – and only marginally sniffed out of first spot in practice two by his friend Lando Norris, a session delayed by a bizarre double-crash involving Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo.

F1 returns with the now inevitable question: can anyone beat Max Verstappen?

Lando Norris quickest in second practice but Daniel Ricciardo injured in crash at Dutch Grand Prix

16:48 , Mike Jones

Lando Norris denied Max Verstappen a practice double by setting the pace for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix – after Daniel Ricciardo crashed out and was taken to hospital.

More than 300,000 spectators will descend on the coastal town of Zandvoort, 30 miles outside of Amsterdam, as Formula One emerges from its summer slumber.

The majority of whom will do so in the expectation of watching Verstappen march to his ninth consecutive victory – equalling a record set by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull in 2013 – as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships.

Lando Norris quickest in second practice but Daniel Ricciardo injured in crash

Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 F1 title

16:39 , Mike Jones

Lewis Hamilton insists he is “not focusing on what happened 15 years ago” when questioned on Thursday about Felipe Massa’s legal action over the 2008 Formula 1 title.

Massa is seeking substantial damages following the 2008 Crashgate scandal and a subsequent alleged “conspiracy” after comments earlier this year by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Hamilton, now a seven-time world champion, won his first F1 title in 2008 on the final lap of a dramatic final race in Brazil, with Massa missing out by a single point.

Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 title

Charles Leclerc gives gloomy prediction on how quick Ferrari will catch Red Bull

16:34 , Mike Jones

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc believes “it will be very difficult” for the chasing pack to catch Red Bull before 2026.

Red Bull have won all 12 races so far this season, with Max Verstappen claiming 10 victories and Sergio Perez two.

Leclerc, who has not won a race since last July in Austria, is an astonishing 215 points behind runaway F1 championship leader Verstappen in the standings – and was pessimistic when asked how long it would take for Ferrari and the rest to match Red Bull.

Charles Leclerc gives gloomy prediction on how quick Ferrari will catch Red Bull

Haas retain Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen as team confirms drivers for 2024

16:29 , Mike Jones

Haas have confirmed an unchanged line-up on the grid for the 2024 Formula 1 season with both Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen retaining their seats.

The experienced pairing have combined well so far in 2023, with Hulkenberg particularly impressive in qualifying.

Though the team’s qualifying speed has translated to just three combined top ten race finishes, Haas hope that tweaks made during the F1 summer break will allow them to climb the Constuctors Championship standings from their current position of eighth.

Haas retain key duo as team confirms drivers for 2024

What time is F1 qualifying tomorrow?

16:24 , Mike Jones

Here’s the schedule for Saturday at the Dutch Grand Prix:

Saturday 26 August

• Free practice 3: 10:30am

• Qualifying: 2pm

The entire race schedule from Zandvoort will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK and Ireland. Sky’s coverage of the race on Sunday starts at 12:30pm (BST).

The weekend’s action will be broadcasted on ESPN in the United States.

Free-to-air highlights in the UK will be aired on Channel 4; for qualifying at 6:45pm (BST) on Saturday evening and the grand prix on Sunday evening at 6:30pm.

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo crash in Dutch Grand Prix practice

16:19 , Mike Jones

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo both hit the wall within moments of each other at the same corner during Friday practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Piastri, who replaced Ricciardo at McLaren this year, spun at turn 3 – the famed banked corner at this Zandvoort circuit – early in the second practice session.

Then, fellow Australian driver Ricciardo came storming round and himself swerved into the wall, likely put off by the stricken McLaren in front of him.

Second practice was red-flagged as a result, with both drivers unharmed but out of the session.

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo crash in Dutch Grand Prix practice

Lando Norris is fastest in FP2

16:14 , Mike Jones

Can McLaren transfer their pace in second practice into the race on Sunday? Lando Norris will be hoping so after topping the table in FP2.

Dutch GP schedule:

16:12 , Mike Jones

(All times BST)

Saturday 26 August

• Free practice 3: 10:30am

• Qualifying: 2pm

Sunday 27 August

• Race: 2pm

Full FP2 classificaion

16:07 , Mike Jones

Lando Norris is fastest in FP2!

16:02 , Mike Jones

McLaren’s Lando Norris sets the quickest lap in second practice with a time of 1:11.330. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finishes second a couple of hundreths of a second behind him and Alex Albon of Williams takes third place!

Lewis Hamilton is three tenths behind Norris in fourth with Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, Valterri Bottas and Fernando Alonso rounding out the top 10.

Daniel Ricciardo heading to hospital

15:59 , Mike Jones

News has just come through that Daniel Ricciardo is being taken to hospital after his earlier crash. His right hand was still on the wheel as he hit the barriers and a jolt would have gone through his arm.

The word is that this is a precautionary measure and Ricciardo is expected to be able to drive again tomorrow.

The fast laps are done

15:56 , Mike Jones

The drivers seem content to ease through the remainder of the session and pick up whatever data they can. Less than a second separates the top 16 times which would be ideal if the team can carry that over to the race on Sunday.

10 minutes to go!

15:50 , Mike Jones

No changes on the leaderboard as the drivers look to keep their tyres fresh and perhaps prepare for a final dash towards the end of the session.

15 minutes to go!

15:45 , Mike Jones

Just a quarter of an hour left in second practice and it’s still Lando Norris who leads the way. Williams’ Alex Albon is up to third just +0.269 behind the leader.

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo haven’t come onto track since their earlier crashes. It seems they’re both out of the session.

Sainz into the gravel!

15:38 , Mike Jones

Carlos Sainz overcommits into a turn and goes off the track as he loses control of the car. There’s a gravel run off available though and he’s fine to continue.

Max Verstappen has set a quicker lap time but he’s still +0.023 behind Lando Norris’ fastest lap and that will annoy the Dutchman.

The Ferraris are both struggling for speed as Charles Leclerc can only improve as high at 11th place.

Russell struggling for Mercedes

15:35 , Mike Jones

“The car is just doing some weird things.” says Max Verstappen on the Red Bull radio. He thinks there may be an issue with the brakes or something towards the rear of the car.

George Russell finished second here in 2022 but he’s struggling to get into this practice sesssion and finishes a quick lap +0.679 behind Lando Norris which places him 12th on the leaderboard.

Lewis Hamilton in fourth has a pit stop and Mercedes are taking the car back into the garage for a debrief.

25 minutes to go in FP2.

Norris holds the lead!

15:31 , Mike Jones

Max Verstappen decides the time is right for a qualifying lap on the soft tyres. It’s a quick lap but he can’t emulate Lando Norris’ times through the first two sectors.

Verstappen drops further back in the final sector as well and finishes +0.238 behind the McLaren. He’s up into second though.

Soft tyres working wonders

15:29 , Mike Jones

After the break in proceedings a few of the teams have decided to switch out the tyres and put the cars on softs. Logan Sargeant flies up to the top of the table for Williams with a time of 1:11.934 but he’s not there for long.

Valterri Bottas, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, and Lewis Hamilton all finish above him but the new leader is McLaren’s Lando Norris with a 1:11.330!

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo crash in second practice

15:25 , Mike Jones

Green light!🟢

15:24 , Mike Jones

With 36 minutes of the session left to go the green light is given and the drivers head back onto the track. There’s loads of time left for the teams to get their data and optimum lap times.

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo crash in Dutch Grand Prix practice

15:22 , Mike Jones

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo both hit the wall within moments of each other at the same corner during Friday practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Piastri, who replaced Ricciardo at McLaren this year, spun at turn 3 – the famed banked corner at this Zandvoort circuit – early in the second practice session.

Then, fellow Australian driver Ricciardo came storming round and himself swerved into the wall, likely put off by the stricken McLaren in front of him.

Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo crash in Dutch Grand Prix practice

Red Flag!🛑

15:21 , Mike Jones

As we wait for the green light here’s a look at the top 10 on the leaderboard so far. As expected, Max Verstappen leads the way with Sergio Perez second and Lewis Hamilton third:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:12.449

2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) - 1:12.6446

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:12.713

4. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:12.813

5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:12.901

6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 1:13.035

7. Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri) - 1:13.096

8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 1:13.149

9. Alexander Albon (Williams) - 1:13.2087

10. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:13.280

Red Flag!🛑

15:15 , Mike Jones

Oscar Piastri is heading back to the pit lane and looks to be fine. His car is being craned into the middle of the track though and it seems unlikely that he’ll be heading back out during this practice session.

The AlphaTauri hasn’t moved yet though Daniel Ricciardo is okay.

Red Flag! 🛑

15:13 , Mike Jones

AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri both crash into the barriers!

Piastri lost the turn first and crashed out just as Ricciardo was coming round the bend, he had to bail out and ended up in the wall himself.

The red flag comes out after 10 minutes of FP2.

Hamilton replaces Perez!

15:10 , Mike Jones

Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to improve on his third place in FP1 and has made a decent start to this practice session with a quick time that leaves him top of the table by three-hundreths of a second.

That lead doesn’t last long though as first Sergio Perez then Max Verstappen move above him.

Sergio Perez goes fastest!

15:07 , Mike Jones

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is one of the last drivers to leave the pit lane and during his out lap his teammate Sergio Perez takes the lead with a time of 1:12.750 early in this second practice.

Lance Stroll is up to second in his Aston Martin too.

Stroll and Hulkenberg on track

15:04 , Mike Jones

Lance Stroll didn’t get out on the track until halfway through FP1 and then was swiftly back in the garage after reporting a “funny noise” with his power unit. The Aston Martin mechanics took a look at the unit in between the sessions and there didn’t need to be a change.

Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg is also out on the track after his earlier crash into the barriers. There doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage to his Haas car.

Second practice underway in Zandvoort!

15:00 , Mike Jones

Flares have been set off by the watching fans as second practice gets underway at the Circuit Zandvoort.

The atmosphere is top quality with floods of orange across the stands as the people of the Netherlands look on to see whether Max Verstappen can win his home race once again.

The drivers head out onto the track.

Carlos Sainz, who missed FP1 to allow Ferrari reserve Robert Shwartzman to get a feel for Formula 1, is heading out and will want to get to grips with the track as quickly as possible.

What happened in FP1?

14:57 , Mike Jones

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the fastest pace in first practice at his home Dutch Grand Prix just ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

The reigning world champion was 0.278 seconds ahead of Alonso with Hamilton’s Mercedes third quickest and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ending up fourth.

Verstappen is bidding for a record-equalling ninth consecutive win this weekend, which would match former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 record.

The odds are heavily in Verstappen’s favour yet if he is to equal Vettel’s record there is no better place to do so than Circuit Zandvoort.

Max Verstappen posts fastest time in first practice for Dutch Grand Prix

14:52 , Kieran Jackson

FP1 report:

Max Verstappen picked up where he left off by posting the fastest time in opening practice for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who has won 10 of the 12 rounds so far and will match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive victories if he triumphs again on Sunday, finished 0.278 seconds clear of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton took third spot for Mercedes, three tenths adrift of Verstappen, with Sergio Perez fourth in the other Red Bull.

Full report below:

Max Verstappen posts fastest time in first practice for Dutch Grand Prix

F1 Driver Standings

14:45 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 314 points

2) Sergio Perez - 189 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 149 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 148 points

5) Charles Leclerc - 99 points

6) George Russell - 99 points

7) Carlos Sainz - 92 points

8) Lando Norris - 69 points

9) Lance Stroll - 47 points

10) Esteban Ocon - 35 points

11) Oscar Piastri - 34 points

12) Pierre Gasly - 22 points

13) Alex Albon - 11 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 5 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

19) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

20) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

21) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

Lewis Hamilton fears ‘high chance’ Max Verstappen will win 10 remaining races

14:30 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton fears there is a “high chance” that Max Verstappen will win all 10 remaining races this season – and believes the Dutchman’s crushing dominance could last until 2026.

Following a four-week summer shutdown, Formula One fires up this weekend at Verstappen’s home round in the Netherlands.

Verstappen has won the last eight races and he will match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine on the spin for Red Bull in 2013 if he triumphs in front of his orange-clad Dutch fans here on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton fears ‘high chance’ Max Verstappen will win 10 remaining races

Dutch GP schedule:

14:14 , Kieran Jackson

(All times BST)

Friday 25 August

• Free practice 2: 3pm

Saturday 26 August

• Free practice 3: 10:30am

• Qualifying: 2pm

Sunday 27 August

• Race: 2pm

F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise

14:02 , Kieran Jackson

It’s a case of 12 down, 10 to go for Formula 1 in 2023.

Max Verstappen is cruising to a third-straight world championship for a Red Bull team who look invincible – and could yet go the whole season invincible.

Yet there have been other notable performances too, with Aston Martin and more recently McLaren impressing, while behemoths like Ferrari and Mercedes are left wondering how they’ve been left so far behind Red Bull yet again.

The Independent takes a look at the highlights and lowlights from the first five months of the 2023 season.

F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise

What are the Constructors’ Standings?

13:51 , Kieran Jackson

1) Red Bull - 503 points

2) Mercedes - 247 points

3) Aston Martin - 196 points

4) Ferrari - 191 points

5) McLaren - 103 points

6) Alpine - 57 points

7) Williams - 11 points

8) Haas - 11 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 9 points

10) AlphaTauri - 3 points

Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 F1 title

13:40 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton insists he is “not focusing on what happened 15 years ago” when questioned on Thursday about Felipe Massa’s legal action over the 2008 Formula 1 title.

Massa is seeking substantial damages following the 2008 Crashgate scandal and a subsequent alleged “conspiracy” after comments earlier this year by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Hamilton, now a seven-time world champion, won his first F1 title in 2008 on the final lap of a dramatic final race in Brazil, with Massa missing out by a single point.

Full quotes below:

Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 title

Charles Leclerc gives gloomy prediction on how quick Ferrari will catch Red Bull

13:20 , Kieran Jackson

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc believes “it will be very difficult” for the chasing pack to catch Red Bull before 2026.

Red Bull have won all 12 races so far this season, with Max Verstappen claiming 10 victories and Sergio Perez two.

Leclerc, who has not won a race since last July in Austria, is an astonishing 215 points behind runaway F1 championship leader Verstappen in the standings – and was pessimistic when asked how long it would take for Ferrari and the rest to match Red Bull.

“They [Red Bull] have a really big margin,” he said on Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Full quotes below:

Charles Leclerc gives gloomy prediction on how quick Ferrari will catch Red Bull

Max Verstappen posts fastest time in first practice for Dutch Grand Prix

13:06 , Kieran Jackson

FP1 report:

Max Verstappen picked up where he left off by posting the fastest time in opening practice for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who has won 10 of the 12 rounds so far and will match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive victories if he triumphs again on Sunday, finished 0.278 seconds clear of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton took third spot for Mercedes, three tenths adrift of Verstappen, with Sergio Perez fourth in the other Red Bull.

Full report below:

Max Verstappen posts fastest time in first practice for Dutch Grand Prix

FULL FP1 CLASSIFICATION

12:46 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen fastest in first practice

12:34 , Kieran Jackson

A much-predicted start to his home weekend, as Max Verstappen tops the timesheets with a 1:11:852.

But just at the end of the session, he goes bizarrely into the gravel at turn 10! Looks like he just didn’t put on the brakes in time!

Fernando Alonso finished second, 0.278 secs behind Verstappen, with Lewis Hamilton one tenth further back.

4-10: Perez, Albon, Norris, Sargeant, Piastri, Tsunoda, Ocon

George Russell was 11th-fastest, while Charles Leclerc was down in P16 - but was on the mediums! Robert Shwartzman was last out of all the runners, with Lance Stroll the only driver not setting a time.

Lance Stroll will not set a time in FP1

12:28 , Kieran Jackson

His Aston Martin has a suspected power unit issue.

More as we get it...

Max Verstappen goes quickest with five minutes to go

12:25 , Kieran Jackson

Verstappen wasn’t going to let his Red Bull team-mate have his moment was he... even in practice!

In his first run on soft tyres, Max Verstappen storms to the top of the timesheets with a 1:11:852, two-tenths quicker than Fernando Alonso now positioned in second!

Lewis Hamilton is third, a tenth further back.

4-10: Perez, Albon, Sargeant, Piastri, Norris, Ocon, Gasly

5 to go...

FP1 resumes with 10 minutes left

12:20 , Kieran Jackson

Bit of a queue at the end of the pit-lane as first practice resumes with 10 minutes left!

Nico Hulkenberg, incidentally, only softly brushed the barriers so his Haas car should be good to go for second practice later...

RED FLAG!

12:13 , Kieran Jackson

Nico Hulkenberg has crashed in sector three!

His Haas is in the wall and beeched in the gravel! The German just lost the rear end....

Session is red-flagged - but the clock will continue to tumble with 17 minutes left!

Not the way Hulkenberg wanted to celebrate his new contract...

Sergio Perez now quickest with 20 minutes left!

12:10 , Kieran Jackson

With a switch to soft tyres, Sergio Perez sets the fastest time with a 1:12:323. Alex Albon is in second for Williams a tenth of a second back, with Logan Sargeant in third!

Max Verstappen now down in seventh, but he is yet to switch to softs.

4-10: Ocon, Gasly, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Magnussen, Leclerc, Hamilton

George Russell is 11th. Lance Stroll is the only driver yet to set a full lap time...

Robert Shwartzman is replacing Carlos Sainz in FP1

11:47 , Kieran Jackson

As part of the young drivers programme - which requires every driver to give up an FP1 slot this season for an inexperienced driver - Carlos Sainz is not taking part in this session.

Instead, Ferrari reserve Robert Shwartzman is out on track for a taste of the action!

Max Verstappen quickest after first 15 minutes!

11:44 , Kieran Jackson

And... no surprises first up! Max Verstappen sets the fastest time first up with a 1:13:191, six-tenths quicker than Lewis Hamilton in second!

George Russell is third, with the Williams pairing of Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant in fifth.

6-10: Perez, Ocon, Gasly, Botas, Leclerc

The McLaren pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are yet to set a time. Most of the field on hard tyres to start practice, a few on mediums.

Difference between average qualifying time this season

11:37 , Kieran Jackson

Interesting statistics here, particularly at Red Bull!

---

1. Williams, Alex Albon (85.512) vs Logan Sargaent (86.584) - 1.072

2. Red Bull, Max Verstappen (83.252) vs Sergio Perez (84.210) - 0.958

3. Alfa Romero, Valtteri Bottas (85.440) vs Zhou Guanyu (86.195) - 0.755

4. Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso (83.861) vs Lance Stroll (84.588) - 0.727

5. Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton (83.869) vs George Russell (84.197) - 0.328

6. Alpin, Esteban Ocon (85.049) vs Pierre Gasly (85.330) - 0.281

7. McLaren, Lando Norris (84.165) vs Oscar Piastri (84.336) - 0.171

8. Haas, Nico Hulkenberg (85.790) vs Kevin Magnussen (85.954) - 0.164

9. Ferrari, Charles Leclerc (83.723) vs Carlos Sainz (83.777) - 0.054

Data provided by OBLG

First practice underway in Zandvoort!

11:31 , Kieran Jackson

A huge roar from the grandstands as Yuki Tsunoda leads the cars out on track for the first hour of running in Zandvoort!

A reminder it’s a normal race setup this weekend - no sprints - so it’s three one-hour practice sessions followed by qualifying and the race.

Most of the drivers not wasting any time here, getting straight out on track!

The Orange Army out in full force in Zandvoort!

11:27 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen strutting through the paddock

11:21 , Kieran Jackson

And why wouldn’t he?!

The man is bang in form having won eight races in a row! He’s eyeing a third victory here in Zandvoort this weekend at his home race!

First practice coming right up in 10 minutes!

F1 Driver Standings

11:15 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 314 points

2) Sergio Perez - 189 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 149 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 148 points

5) Charles Leclerc - 99 points

6) George Russell - 99 points

7) Carlos Sainz - 92 points

8) Lando Norris - 69 points

9) Lance Stroll - 47 points

10) Esteban Ocon - 35 points

11) Oscar Piastri - 34 points

12) Pierre Gasly - 22 points

13) Alex Albon - 11 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 5 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

19) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

20) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

21) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

Lewis Hamilton fears ‘high chance’ Max Verstappen will win 10 remaining races

11:07 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton fears there is a “high chance” that Max Verstappen will win all 10 remaining races this season – and believes the Dutchman’s crushing dominance could last until 2026.

Following a four-week summer shutdown, Formula One fires up this weekend at Verstappen’s home round in the Netherlands.

Verstappen has won the last eight races and he will match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine on the spin for Red Bull in 2013 if he triumphs in front of his orange-clad Dutch fans here on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton fears ‘high chance’ Max Verstappen will win 10 remaining races

What are the Constructors’ Standings?

10:59 , Kieran Jackson

1) Red Bull - 503 points

2) Mercedes - 247 points

3) Aston Martin - 196 points

4) Ferrari - 191 points

5) McLaren - 103 points

6) Alpine - 57 points

7) Williams - 11 points

8) Haas - 11 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 9 points

10) AlphaTauri - 3 points

F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise

10:49 , Kieran Jackson

It’s a case of 12 down, 10 to go for Formula 1 in 2023.

Max Verstappen is cruising to a third-straight world championship for a Red Bull team who look invincible – and could yet go the whole season invincible.

Yet there have been other notable performances too, with Aston Martin and more recently McLaren impressing, while behemoths like Ferrari and Mercedes are left wondering how they’ve been left so far behind Red Bull yet again.

The Independent takes a look at the highlights and lowlights from the first five months of the 2023 season.

F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise

Dutch GP schedule:

10:36 , Kieran Jackson

(All times BST)

Friday 25 August

• Free practice 1: 11:30am

• Free practice 2: 3pm

Saturday 26 August

• Free practice 3: 10:30am

• Qualifying: 2pm

Sunday 27 August

• Race: 2pm

Charles Leclerc gives gloomy prediction on how quick Ferrari will catch Red Bull

10:29 , Kieran Jackson

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc believes “it will be very difficult” for the chasing pack to catch Red Bull before 2026.

Red Bull have won all 12 races so far this season, with Max Verstappen claiming 10 victories and Sergio Perez two.

Leclerc, who has not won a race since last July in Austria, is an astonishing 215 points behind runaway F1 championship leader Verstappen in the standings – and was pessimistic when asked how long it would take for Ferrari and the rest to match Red Bull.

“They [Red Bull] have a really big margin,” he said on Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Full quotes below:

Charles Leclerc gives gloomy prediction on how quick Ferrari will catch Red Bull

What are the Driver Standings heading into this weekend?

10:25 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 314 points

2) Sergio Perez - 189 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 149 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 148 points

5) Charles Leclerc - 99 points

6) George Russell - 99 points

7) Carlos Sainz - 92 points

8) Lando Norris - 69 points

9) Lance Stroll - 47 points

10) Esteban Ocon - 35 points

11) Oscar Piastri - 34 points

12) Pierre Gasly - 22 points

13) Alex Albon - 11 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 5 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

19) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

20) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

21) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 F1 title

10:22 , Kieran Jackson

Lewis Hamilton insists he is “not focusing on what happened 15 years ago” when questioned on Thursday about Felipe Massa’s legal action over the 2008 Formula 1 title.

Massa is seeking substantial damages following the 2008 Crashgate scandal and a subsequent alleged “conspiracy” after comments earlier this year by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Hamilton, now a seven-time world champion, won his first F1 title in 2008 on the final lap of a dramatic final race in Brazil, with Massa missing out by a single point.

Full quotes below:

Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 title

F1 Dutch Grand Prix practice LIVE

10:19 , Kieran Jackson

Good morning - Formula 1 is back!

After four weeks off for the summer break, F1 returns at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend!

The Orange Army will be out in full force to support Max Verstappen as he targets a record-equalling ninth consecutive grand prix victory!

Today it’s practice, with FP1 starting at 11:30am (BST) and second practice at 3pm.