Lance Stroll destroyed his car. © APA/afp / JOHN THYS

A wild Zandvoort training session with accidents and spins

Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen had a tough start to his home race at Zandvoort. In practice ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, the Red Bull star finished sixth and fifth in both sessions, trailing the field significantly. Other drivers also struggled to control their cars.

August 29, 2025

From: dpa

Lando Norris set the fastest lap of the day in his McLaren. The Briton clocked a time of 1:09,890 minutes, just ahead of Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin and World Championship leader Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.

A bitter blow for Verstappen: After the first practice session in the early afternoon, the 27-year-old was unable to return to the pits. He completed a final start and then ended up off the track. "I'm stuck," Verstappen radioed, shaking his head in frustration. The reason for the mistake at the end of the start-finish straight remained unclear at first.

Max Verstappen was just following behind. © ANSA / SANDER KONING

In strong winds, intermittent rain, and generally challenging conditions, McLaren dominated both practice sessions and made the strongest impression on the dune track. Changeable weather, with heavy rain at times, could cause chaos in qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday (15.00:XNUMX p.m.).

Stroll flies off

Just hours after his surprising third place in the first practice session, Lance Stroll completely destroyed his Aston Martin. The Canadian misjudged a banked corner and crashed heavily into the barriers on the right side. The wheel suspension immediately broke, and the car had to be recovered with a crane before the race could resume after a break.


It wasn't the only gaffe after the three-week summer break. Record world champion Lewis Hamilton spun twice in his stubborn Ferrari, and Yuki Tsunoda also lost control in the Red Bull. Kimi Antonelli's veering off the track at midday also forced a break, as did Alex Albon's trip through the gravel trap.

With ten races remaining, Piastri leads the World Championship standings by just nine points over teammate Norris. Defending champion Verstappen is already 97 points behind the Australian. Verstappen, a four-time champion, had won the Grand Prix in his home country three times in a row until 2023.