Norris reaches 18th on the all-time pole list with his 18th pole, both McLaren drivers reach Q3 for the 40th race in succession and Mercedes power sets a new record for most consecutive front row starts. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix!
NORRIS ON POLE AT THE 2026 DUTCH GRAND PRIX
Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, recording the 18th pole position of his career. He equalled Mario Andretti, Rene Arnoux and Kimi Raikkonen for 18th on the list of most poles in F1 history.
Norris became the 11th driver to take multiple pole positions at Zandvoort, having taken his first in 2024. Zandvoort is the third circuit – after Interlagos and the Hungaroring – at which Norris has taken multiple poles.
This is the third year in a row that a McLaren driver has taken pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Norris secured consecutive pole positions for the first time since taking three in a row at the 2025 Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Las Vegas Grands Prix.
This was the 41st consecutive race weekend in which a Mercedes-powered car qualified on the front row of the grid. It set a new record for the most consecutive races at which an engine manufacturer has appeared on the front row of the grid, surpassing the record of 40 races set by Renault-powered cars between the 1995 Italian Grand Prix and the 1997 European Grand Prix.
IN THE TOP TEN
After winning the Sprint race, George Russell qualified on the front row for the first time since taking pole at the Austrian Grand Prix.
With Russell second and Kimi Antonelli third, this was the first time since 2022 that both Mercedes drivers progressed to Q3 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri maintained his 100% Q3 appearance rate at Zandvoort, qualifying in fourth place. This was the first time he qualified in the top four since the Canadian Grand Prix.
This was the 40th Grand Prix in a row at which both McLaren drivers reached Q3.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc continued their record of being the only drivers to reach Q3 at every Dutch Grand Prix since the event’s return in 2021.
Although he qualified outside of the top three for the first time at his home Grand Prix, Verstappen retained his record of out-qualifying his team-mate on every appearance at Zandvoort.
Leclerc qualified outside of the top five for the first time since the Barcelona Grand Prix. 2026 is the third year in a row that Leclerc has qualified sixth for the Dutch Grand Prix.
On his first appearance with Red Bull since the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, Liam Lawson qualified in eighth place. It equalled his best qualifying result of the year and marks the third time this season he has qualified in the top eight. This was the second year in a row that Lawson qualified eighth for the Dutch Grand Prix.
Gabriel Bortoleto reached Q3 at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, becoming the first driver for the former Sauber team to qualify in the top ten at Zandvoort since 2021. This was Bortoleto’s fourth Q3 appearance of the season to date.
Bortoleto equalled his best qualifying result of the year, qualifying ninth for the third time in the last ten races.
This was the third race weekend in a row in which an Audi driver reached Q3. It is the former Sauber team’s longest streak of Q3 appearances since the 2022 Emilia Romagna, Miami and Spanish Grands Prix.
Arvid Lindblad made this the eighth consecutive race weekend in which a Racing Bulls driver has reached Q3. It was Lindblad’s fifth consecutive top ten qualifying result. This is the team’s longest streak of Q3 appearances since a nine-race streak ended at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
ELIMINATED IN Q2
With Esteban Ocon out in Q2 and Ollie Bearman exiting in Q1, Mick Schumacher’s eighth place qualification at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix is the only time a Haas driver reached Q3 during Zandvoort’s return stint on the calendar.
Pierre Gasly qualified 11th for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, while Franco Colapinto qualified 14th. This was the fifth time in the last six races that Alpine recorded a double Q2 exit. The Monaco Grand Prix remains Alpine’s most recent Q3 appearance, while Miami remains the team’s only double Q3 appearance of the season to date.
Gasly exited in Q2 for the sixth race in succession. He has qualified in the top 12 without reaching Q3 at all of the last five Grands Prix.
Alex Albon progressed to Q2 for only the second time in the last six Grand Prix weekends. This was the first time since the Monaco Grand Prix that he out-qualified his team-mate.
This was the first time since 2022 that neither Williams driver reached Q3 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Yuki Tsunoda exited in Q2 on his return to Formula 1, qualifying two positions behind his Racing Bulls team-mate.
OUT IN Q1
Carlos Sainz qualified 17th for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, recording his first successive Q1 eliminations since the start of the season.
This was Sainz’s first Q1 exit at the Dutch Grand Prix – and only the second time in six appearances at the track that he did not qualify in the top ten.
Both Aston Martin drivers were eliminated in Q1 at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, recording their 11th double Q1 exit of the year. Fernando Alonso’s Q2 appearance last time out in Hungary is the only time this year that an Aston Martin driver has progressed beyond Q1.
This was Aston Martin’s first double Q1 exit at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Alonso recorded his first Q1 exit at Zandvoort, having last missed out on a spot in Q3 at the Dutch Grand Prix in 2022.
This was the second year in a row that Lance Stroll exited in Q1 at Zandvoort.
Qualifying 20th for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, Ollie Bearman recorded successive Q2 exits for the first time since the 2025 Emilia Romagna and Monaco Grands Prix.
Bearman has exited in Q1 on both of his Dutch Grand Prix appearances. He qualified 19th last year.
Since F1 returned to Zandvoort in 2021, 2024 is the only time that neither Haas driver was eliminated in Q1 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
This was the fourth race in a row in which a Haas driver was eliminated in Q1. It is the team’s longest streak of Q1 exits since recording nine in a row at the start of the 2025 season.
Cadillac continued their streak of seeing both cars exit in Q1 at every race of the season to date. This was the second race in a row that Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez set the two slowest lap times in Q1.
Valtteri Bottas exited in Q1 for a fourth consecutive Dutch Grand Prix appearance.