Russell predicts 'close' Dutch GP fight with McLaren and Verstappen

George Russell expressed his anticipation for "a close battle" among Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen following his impressive performance in Friday's practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver clocked a time that was 0.061 seconds faster than McLaren's Oscar Piastri. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, secured third place, finishing 0.111 seconds behind Russell, while Lando Norris in the second McLaren took fourth position.

Verstappen, who finished fifth and was 0.284 seconds off the leading time, remarked that Red Bull was "a bit too slow on the short run and a bit too slow on the long runs," indicating that there is "a bit of work to do."

He added, "At the moment, there is no clear answer on how to specifically improve that, and we will investigate further."

Russell noted, "It was really challenging out there due to the windy conditions. However, the car was performing exceptionally well. It appears to be quite a competitive battle with the McLarens and Max."

Verstappen has triumphed in all three editions of his home race since the Zandvoort circuit was reinstated to the calendar in 2021.