F1 starting grid: What is the grid for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint?
Full F1 starting grid for the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint from Zandvoort.
ZANDVOORT – George Russell will line up for the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint from pole position on the starting grid following a nail-biting Sprint Qualifying session.
The Mercedes driver set the pace in a session that saw the top four drivers, representing three different teams, split by less than a tenth of a second.
George Russell takes Dutch GP Sprint pole
A late lap from Russell proved enough to usurp provisional pole-sitter Lando Norris from top spot, the pair split by just 0.041s.
Charles Leclerc will start on the second row of the starting grid alongside Oscar Piastri, the Australian’s best of 1:11.666 just 0.099s off Russell’s time.
Both McLaren and Ferrari looked a threat, with Piastri and Lewis Hamilton topping the timesheets earlier in the three-part Sprint Qualifying session, only to fall down the order.
Hamilton slipped to seventh at the chequered flag, behind a third row that features championship leader Kimi Antonelli and local favourite Max Verstappen.
Hamilton’s best, a 1:12.191s, was more than half a second away from the pace laid down by his Ferrari teammate as he struggled to make the gains his rivals found in SQ3.
Making the most of Alpine’s all-new package, Pierre Gasly posted a time that left him ninth fastest, ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi as Arvid Lindblad delivered another top-10 start for Racing Bulls.
Just missing out on a berth in SQ3 was Liam Lawson, who impressed on his return to Red Bull.
The New Zealander outpaced Verstappen in SQ1 before struggling with understeer in the second part of the knockout session to just miss the cut.
His best lap, a 1:13.136, was just 0.009s quicker than Yuki Tsunoda could muster on his F1 return, driving the Racing Bulls vacated by Lawson.
Franco Colapinto will start 13th in an Alpine that does not feature the updates Gasly’s car does, with Nico Hulkenberg 14th in the second Audi.
Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon follow in 15th and 16th respectively, with the six SQ1 eliminations completing the starting grid: Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, and Fernando Alonso.
2026 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint Grid
1. George Russell Mercedes 1:11.567
2. Lando Norris McLaren 1:11.608
3. Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.622
4. Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:11.666
5. Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:11.794
6. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:12.094
7. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:12.191
8. Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:12.578
9. Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:12.583
10. Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 1:12.737
11. Liam Lawson Red Bull 1:13.136
12. Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls 1:13.145
13. Franco Colapinto Alpine 1:13.439
14. Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:13.616
15. Esteban Ocon Haas 1:13.893
16. Alex Albon Williams 1:14.294
17. Oliver Bearman Haas 1:14.728
18. Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:15.391
19. Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 1:15.472
20. Sergio Perez Cadillac 1:15.545
Carlos Sainz Williams 1:14.738 – pit lane
Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:16.014 – pit lane
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