F1 news: Lewis Hamilton punished after Dutch GP incident as Verstappen fuels Mercedes talk

That's all from us from us for today.

Thank you for tuning into our F1 coverage of the Dutch Grand Prix. We'll be back again for more breaking news, updates and rumours ahead of tomorrow's race.

Until then, goodnight!

Max Verstappen isn't confident that he will be able to become the first driver to win four consecutive Dutch Grand Prix races.

The Red Bull driver has qualified on the front row for tomorrow's race at Zandvoort, where he won in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

But with a near fourth-tenth gap to bridge to Lando Norris, the 26-year-old admits it will be "very tricky" to beat the McLarens.

“I would hope so, but I think when you see the gap, it’s going to be very tricky,” he said. “Also, it just seems like Lando’s a bit happier in general with just the driving and how he feels.

"I’m a bit more all over the place with the balance, so I don’t know, maybe it stabilises a bit tomorrow, but I guess we’ll find out.”

Toto Wolff has admitted that he was wrong to act the way he did after Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided at Silverstone in 2021.

Wolff said at the time he had no remorse over the 51G crash that caused Verstappen to go to hospital. But the Austrian boss, 52, admits he acted wrongly and is now on better terms with the Dutch driver.

"We had a bad relationship for a period and that started at Silverstone 2021. That season took its toll. It was so intense and we all felt things were not right between us," he is quoted by the AD.

"Where it really went wrong was at Silverstone, where I made a mistake. I did not call Jos on the day of the incident and I should have done so.

"I have a child myself who does karting, so I know how you feel as a father at such times. I lost sight of that that day."

Williams are reportedly considering whether to fire Logan Sargeant following another unimpressive display at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Williams driver is already being replaced for 2025 by Carlos Sainz, with Alex Albon signing a new contract with the team.

But a report from Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS) suggests James Vowles is ready to cut ties with the American early.

It is thought Mick Schumacher could get the chance to prove himself in the seat for the final nine races if Sargeant is disposed of.

And there it is.

The stewards have ruled that Alex Albon should be disqualified from the Dutch Grand Prix qualifying and he will start from the back of the grid.

The Williams driver's car was found to have been in breach of Article 3.5.1a of the FIA regulations.

Lewis Hamilton has been handed a three-place grid drop by the stewards for Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix.

The Mercedes star will now start 15th on the grid. A nightmare scenario for the Briton.

No official word on Alex Albon yet, though...

We're still waiting to hear the official judgement on Lewis Hamilton's alleged impeding of Sergio Perez.

Still no word on Alex Albon's possible disqualification either.

Stay tuned, though. It shouldn't be much longer.

While we wait for the Lewis Hamilton penalty judgement, the stewards are also investigating Alex Albon.

The Williams driver's car has been examined by FIA's technical delegate Jo Bauer and he has referred the matter to the stewards.

It is alleged the floor of his FW46 car does not comply with the regulations and that usually results in a disqualification.

We will await the official confirmation of that, but that would be disappointing for Albon after qualifying in P8.

Max Verstappen has admitted he maintains a good relationship with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as rumours continue to swirl about his futur at Red Bull.

When asked if he could leave for Mercedes in 2025 to take Lewis Hamilton's seat, the Dutchman said: "I get on very well with Toto.

"He's very open about what is happening within his team, right, and also I think with the driver line-up and stuff.

"So there's nothing wrong with that, and at the same time also, I focus on my job. There is a lot to do anyway."

Lewis Hamilton admitted starting 12th for the Dutch Grand Prix "doesn't feel good" after a disappointing qualifying session.

"It was a pretty frustrating session. These things happen and it's done now but it doesn't feel good," he told Sky Sports F1.

"It all went badly from the moment with Perez happened. I did my best to get out of the way, I was far to the left as possible, but timing was bad.

"It was a domino effect, it went from bad to worse."

Lewis Hamilton has been summoned to the stewards for allegedly impeding another driver.

Hamilton has been asked to report to the FIA stewards to explain in an incident where he appeared to block Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

The 39-year-old qualified 12th and missed out on Q3, and a grid drop would only add to his misery.

A decision is due after their meeting at 5pm local time (4pm BST).

Lando Norris is expecting a tough battle with Max Verstappen after hailing an 'amazing day' for McLaren.

The Briton secured pole at Zandvoort by nearly four tenths of a second, but Norris knows he has the three-time Dutch GP winner Verstappen desperate to make it four in a row behind him.

"An amazing day. Nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap," Norris said. "Qualifying was always pretty smooth and we did some good laps, especially the one at the end.

"Great job by the team and I'm happy. I felt comfortable out there. The car felt amazing. We had some upgrades and everything is working very well.

"I'm excited for tomorrow. I'm sure it will be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today but he's still second and will put up a good fight, especially at his home race."

A horrible starting spot for Lewis Hamilton tomorrow.

A big performance needed from the Brit and the Mercedes garage to get high into the points.

And that's that for qualifying - Lando Norris' breaks Max Verstappen's pole streak at Zandvoort.

Here's how the top 10 will look...

1) Lando Norris, McLaren

2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull

3) Oscar Piastri, McLaren

4) George Russell, Mercedes

5) Sergio Perez, Red Bull

6) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

7) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

8) Alexander Albon, Williams

9) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

10) Pierre Gasly, Alpine

If you missed any of the drama, catch up on it here.

Q2 is over. Here's how the bottom 10 will look for tomorrow's Grand Prix, and Lewis Hamilton has had a stinker...

11) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

12) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

13) Yuki Tsunoda, RB

14) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

15) Kevin Magnussen, Haas

16) Daniel Ricciardo, RB

17) Esteban Ocon, Alpine

18) Valtteri Bottas, Sauber

19) Zhou Guanyu, Sauber

20) Logan Sargeant, Williams

Qualifying at Zandvoort is underway.

Can Max Verstappen start on pole for a fourth successive Dutch Grand Prix? We'll soon find out...

He won't be joining in 2025 - but don't rule out Max Verstappen to Mercedes in 2026 or beyond just yet.

Addressing the Dutchman's links to the Silver Arrows, Toto Wolff says he has a 'feeling' that Verstappen will one day drive for his team.

Wolff explained: "I still have that feeling somewhere, I just don't know when that will be.

"Whether that will be in 2026 or three years later, I don't know."

Daniel Ricciardo says he has no interest in driving in F1 outside of a Red Bull car.

The Australian VCARB racer is bidding to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Asked if his entire focus is on Red Bull, rather than potential opportunities elsewhere, Ricciardo said: "Yeah, it's there. I think also, look, I'm most happy being back here.

"I also, kind of speaking on performance, it's kind of nice not looking elsewhere. Or, you know, having maybe other little distractions because I can just focus on this.

"Look, it's an all-in approach, but I think that approach will also get the most out of me. And if that is still not enough, then c'est la vie.

"But I think that will also bring, it kind of intensifies it, but also simplifies it. So I think it's the best approach.

"I also, look, I know it's not coming from a stubborn place, but I don’t really want to be anywhere else either."

A lack of action in FP3 due to that red flag ends with Alpine's Pierre Gasly top of the timesheet.

Toto Wolff has confirmed Max Verstappen will NOT be joining Mercedes for 2025 after he held talks with the Dutchman's representatives.

"I thought all through the year that there was a window or that there was a possibility. It wasn't zero," Wolff told a group of Dutch reporters in Zandvoort.

"It's pretty bumpy ground there still, and not only for performance reasons, but also because of interpersonal issues that we're all aware.

"By the way, I got on with Jos for all my life. But maybe because we're a bit similar. And that's why I thought the door was never completely closed.

"What were the odds of that happening? Maybe they were 10 to one. Nine to one. Still, I didn't want to give up, but then we together came to the conclusion over the summer that we shouldn't be waiting for something to happen before committing for 2025.

"But let's just continue our job, Max at Red Bull and here at Mercedes taking our own driver decisions. And that was a kind of a joint thought."

The red flags are out. Logan Sargeant has a big shunt into the wall after two of his wheels touch grass after the exit kurb at Turn 3.

He hits the barrier hard and his car bursts into flames once he's climbed free of the cockpit.

Luckily he's alright.

We have the green light in Zandvoort for the final practice session.

It's certainly wet out there!

Christian Horner has suggested Liam Lawson could be loaned out by Red Bull for 2025 if he doesn't get a seat with Red Bull or VCARB.

Helmut Marko was quoted saying young Australian Lawson will "definitely" be in one of the team's cars next year.

But Horner said: "I asked [Marko] quite clearly, he said he'll have 'a drive' in F1 next year.

"We could rent him out. You know, nothing is fixed. If we don't take up the option on Liam, then he's a free driver for 2025.

"So, we've got specific time periods within drivers' contracts where that becomes prevalent.

"I checked with Helmut, his comment earlier, and he said, 'No, I didn’t say which car, he just said 'a drive.'"

Eddie Jordan says it would be a "mistake" for Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton with teenager Kimi Antonelli.

The Italian, 17, is expected to come in for the seven-time world champion at the end of this year with a decision likely to be confirmed in the next few weeks.

"I think he will go with Antonelli even though I think it's a mistake," Jordan told the Formula For Success podcast. "You are putting incredible pressure on him.

"Mercedes should be fighting for a Constructors' Championship while they still look after Antonelli, which is what Toto want to do.

"But putting him in the limelight, a rabbit in the headlights… you just don't want that. It’s not fair.

"He's not doing enough in Formula Two at the moment to give me the inspiration that he is ready to win Grands Prix and take on the pressure at Mercedes."

Lewis Hamilton insists F1 can't "continue to ignore Africa" having not raced on the continent for over three decades.

The 1993 South African Grand Prix was the last time an F1 race took place in any African country.

Hamilton has long pushed for a return to Kyalami but now a Rwandan Grand Prix is gathering steam.

He said: "We can't be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from.

"No one gives anything to Africa. There's a huge amount of work that needs to be done there.

"I think a lot of the world that haven't been there don't realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is."

Eddie Jordan claims he's heard that Max Verstappen will join Mercedes in 2026.

The Dutchman had been Toto Wolff's top target to replace Hamilton this coming winter but will remain loyal to Red Bull.

Jordan said of Verstappen's future on his Formula For Success podcast: "Yes, for 2025 [he will stay at Red Bull].

"They will have a massively strong power plant. I see Mercedes being strong in '26, and that's why people should - will - rush to go there.

"The question I'd like you to ask me is: who do I see being at Mercedes in '26? From what I'm hearing, Max…"

Good morning!

It's qualifying day at Circuit Zandvoort.

Lando Norris led FP1 and George Russell FP2 yesterday. It seems as if we're in for another interesting battle for pole position later today.

Stick around for all the big stories.