What the teams said – Sprint Qualifying in the Netherlands

George Russell secured pole position for the Sprint at Zandvoort, marking a strong return for Mercedes after the summer break. Despite a challenging session for his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who suffered floor damage after an incident, Russell delivered a flawless lap to lead the field. McLaren's Lando Norris qualified second, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc taking third, highlighting a tightly contested session where margins were incredibly thin. The midfield battle remains intense, with Pierre Gasly putting his upgraded Alpine into eighth place, outpacing rivals from Audi and Racing Bulls. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen struggled with the balance of his Red Bull, qualifying sixth, while teams like Williams and Aston Martin faced technical difficulties and are looking for improvements ahead of the full qualifying session for the main Grand Prix.