This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.
Second practice is at 4pm local time, 3pm in the UK, we’ll be back then for more live coverage.
First practice is done, here’s how the times looked at the end. Full report coming up soon:
1. Lando Norris: 1’12.322
2. Max Verstappen: 1’12.523
3. Lewis Hamilton: 1’13.006
4. Carlos Sainz Jnr: 1’13.074
5. George Russell: 1’13.142
6. Alexander Albon: 1’13.159
7. Oscar Piastri: 1’13.230
8. Nico Hulkenberg: 1’13.563
9. Kevin Magnussen: 1’13.597
10. Zhou Guanyu: 1’13.965
11. Lance Stroll: 1’14.151
12. Sergio Perez: 1’14.279
13. Charles Leclerc: 1’14.306
14. Yuki Tsunoda: 1’14.418
15. Fernando Alonso: 1’14.467
16. Robert Shwartzman: 1’14.658
17. Logan Sargeant: 1’15.605
18. Esteban Ocon: 1’15.796
19. Daniel Ricciardo: 1’16.231
20. Pierre Gasly: 1’22.036
A late lap by Verstappen puts him on top – but it’s only temporary, as Norris produces a 1’12.322 which will stand as the best time of the session.
Hamilton jumps up to second and Alexander Albon puts the updated Williams a strong fourth as the chequered flag comes out.
Less than four minutes to go, Norris produces a 1’12.818 which puts him almost a second ahead of Russell at the top of the times.
Another big improvement – Russell beats Piastri by half a second to go quickest.
Norris lowers the best to a 1’14.519, 1.3s up on Russell. Piastri then makes it a McLaren one-two, beating his team mate by 0.226s. Carlos Sainz Jnr slots in third behind them.
Times still improving rapidly. Russell goes quickest with a 1’15.900. Piastri is seven-hundredths off that and Verstappen is a tenth adrift.
The FIA has confirmed Leclerc has taken a new power unit for this weekend, it’s his fourth of the season so if he takes another he’ll have a grid penalty.
Norris smashes the fastest lap so far by three seconds on a set of softs, with a 1’17.367. Russell slots in half a second behind.
Lando Norris has moved up to the top of the times with a 1’20.395. Hulkenberg is the first driver to reach a double-digit lap count. Now all the drivers have returned to the pits, as it appears the track has dried out so much they might risk ruining a set of intermediates and they’re waiting for it to dry out more. Now McLaren sent their drivers out on softs. Fernando Alonso and George Russell also decide to try slicks.
The sun comes out and Gasly moves up to fourth-fastest in the times – but then slides off at Tarzan. He gets going again. The track is much busier now, though, with 13 cars running. Other drivers also challenging the braking point at Tarzan, Sainz and Perez running wide there.
Times so far:
1. George Russell: 1’20.444
2. Max Verstappen: 1’21.300
3. Nico Hulkenberg: 1’22.164
4. Esteban Ocon: 1’22.916
5. Lewis Hamilton: 1’24.638
6. Charles Leclerc: 1’26.111
7. Robert Shwartzman: 1’27.168
8. Zhou Guanyu: 1’27.689
Verstappen has a spin between turns 11 and 12, but gets going again. The Red Bull driver lost the car on the entry kerb. He’s running the high-downforce spec bodywork, without the distinctive ‘cannons’, which the team introduced on his car only at the Hungarian Grand Prix but did not use at Spa.
We’ve now had three drivers set times, Leclerc is quickest on a 1’26.111. Max Verstappen has joined the track for the first time as the conditions improve.
The struggle continues for Hulkenberg who has now gone off at Tarzan (turn one). As with his other two errors he appeared to lock a brake before going off. Once again, he rejoins the track, which he now shares with George Russell and Lando Norris.
Finally, Leclerc is the first driver to set a time, 13 minutes into the session. He produces a 1’26.530. Meanwhile Hulkenberg has been off again, this time at turn nine.
Drivers are mostly doing single laps for the time being. Sargeant returns to the pits, as does Charles Leclerc, now Alexander Albon ventures out.
The track briefly fell completely silent but Logan Sargeant has now headed out in the Williams.
Shwartzman: “To be honest the track felt pretty okay. There were no puddles anywhere.”
Gasly: “It’s pretty wild with the wind.” Nico Hulkenberg understeers off at turn 10 but rejoins.
Kevin Magnussen dips a toe in the water, almost literally, trying a single lap before pitting again. Gasly, however, has begun a timed lap.
The pit lane exit is open and first practice has begun. However with very strong winds, and rain falling, few are eager to get out. Pierre Gasly bucks the trend, joining the track in the Alpine.
The FIA confirmed Williams broke the Thursday night curfew for the first time overnight. The team has brought several upgrades for its FW46 this weekend.
It’s wet and very windy ahead of the first practice session at Zandvoort.
There is one change of driver for this session: Robert Shwartzman is driving Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber. Each team has to run an inexperienced F1 driver in each of their cars during an FP1 session over the course of the year, and this is the first time Sauber has done so this season. Shwartzman has driven in first practice on four previous occasions, all for Ferrari.
First practice for the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix is coming up next. The session will begin at 12:30 local time.
2024 Dutch Grand Prix
- Previous technical hires no obstacle to Newey joining Aston Martin – Krack
- Mercedes still unsure whether Spa floor upgrade is working
- McLaren’s Dutch GP upgrade “nowhere near” as significant as Miami package
- “Very hard to pinpoint” why car has become harder to drive – Verstappen
- Only one F1 driver is making worse starts than Norris in 2024
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
23rd August 2024, 11:21
Weather at the track looks like a summer afternoon here in Wigan!
No – actually the sun has just come out here.
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
23rd August 2024, 11:36
Hulk having a good look at the gravel trap in T9
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
23rd August 2024, 14:21
He was just trying to outrun the bailiffs who were there to seize the cars and equipment the Haas didn’t. Come up with the Urakali payment as ordered.
Sigh