F1: Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in opening practice for Dutch GP
With hometown hero Max Verstappen out with a failed gearbox in his #1 Red Bull Honda, George Russell topped opening practice for the Dutch GP at Zandvoort.
The session was red flagged with 45 minutes to go, as his stricken car was removed from the track, with Verstappen, who waved to the crowd on his way back to the pits, taking no further part.
Russell’s time of 1m12.455s in his #63 Mercedes was 0.240s faster than his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Carlos Sainz Jr. was 3rd quick for Ferrari, 0.390s behind.
McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the top-5.
Charles Leclerc in the #16 Ferrari and Sergio Perez in the #11 Red Bull Honda were only 6th and 7th, with Alpine duo Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon eighth and ninth respectively, albeit more than a second off the pace.
Alex Albon completed the top 10 for Williams, his team mate Nicholas Latifi a full second back.
Red Bull will now have to scramble to repair Verstappen’s gearbox in time for Practice 2.
Practice 1 Results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | CAR | TIME | GAP | LAPS |
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:12.455 | +0.000 | 28 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:12.695 | +0.240s | 27 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:12.845 | +0.390s | 29 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:12.929 | +0.474s | 31 |
| 5 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:13.077 | +0.622s | 30 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:13.127 | +0.672s | 29 |
| 7 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 1:13.416 | +0.961s | 29 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 1:13.633 | +1.178s | 30 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:13.963 | +1.508s | 32 |
| 10 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:14.063 | +1.608s | 28 |
| 11 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 1:14.163 | +1.708s | 28 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:14.257 | +1.802s | 29 |
| 13 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:14.405 | +1.950s | 30 |
| 14 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alphatauri Honda | 1:14.474 | +2.019s | 27 |
| 15 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:14.500 | +2.045s | 27 |
| 16 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:14.534 | +2.079s | 17 |
| 17 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Alphatauri Honda | 1:14.630 | +2.175s | 30 |
| 18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:14.695 | +2.240s | 21 |
| 19 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda | 1:14.714 | +2.259s | 7 |
| 20 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.122 | +2.667s | 32 |