The Netherlands: pre-qualifying 2024


 

And so we return. Doohan has been named as Gasly’s team mate for 2025. Should be a little more harmonious than the previous pairing, but perhaps not as fast.

First practice started out wet then dried, but the times are still less representative than they might be. Norris was top chap, two-tenths ahead of Verstappen, with Hamilton nearly half a second further back and around a tenth ahead of Sainz. The Spaniard was followed by Russell, Albon, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Magnussen, and Zhou Guanyu.

Second practice provided a better indication of pace, and had a tight McLaren-Mercedes-Verstappen battle. Russell was fastest, half a tenth up on Piastri, with Hamilton an equal distance further back. Norris was a tenth and a half behind, with Verstappen two-hundredths off the Briton. Alonso was next but over three-tenths slower. Tsunoda, Magnussen, Leclerc, and Albon were all pretty close (bigger gap from Leclerc to Albon).

At the moment it looks very tasty at the top. Not a fan of this circuit, too difficult to pass, but both wind and rain have caused problems and safety cars can affect things, as Hamilton found to his cost in 2022.

In third practice, the main event was a massive crash for Sargeant. It remains to be seen if he’ll make qualifying (due to the car, he seems to be physically ok, thankfully). The totally unhelpful results were Gasly top ahead of Magnussen, Bottas, Norris, Alonso, Ocon, Piastri, Stroll, Hulkenberg, and Sainz.

 

Based on that, I’m not inclined to bet on qualifying. I do think the market may be underestimating the Mercedes and Piastri, hence my earlier PB tip each way on Hamilton at 9.5.

 

Morris Dancer

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