Motorsports
Russell grabs Dutch sprint pole
George Russell secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race after edging world champion Lando Norris in qualifying at Zandvoort.
The Mercedes driver produced a fastest lap of one minute and 11.567 seconds as Formula One returned from its month-long summer break.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified third, followed by Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli managed only fifth after topping the weekend’s sole practice session.
“The lap felt really good, to be honest. It all came together nicely,” Russell said.
“I’m really happy to come back. It’s been a little while since I’ve done one of these interviews.”
Russell won the opening Grand Prix of the season but has since struggled to match the pace of Antonelli, who dominated the first half of the campaign.
The Italian teenager has won six of the first 11 races, including five in succession. He enters the second half of the season with a 50-point lead over Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli appeared less comfortable once sprint qualifying began. He struggled for grip and spun during the opening session before recovering enough to claim a place on the third row.
Home favorite Max Verstappen qualified sixth for Red Bull as thousands of orange-clad supporters filled the grandstands around the seaside circuit.
The session followed early morning rain, although the track had dried by the time the drivers began their qualifying runs.
The close margins suggest Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull could all contend during the weekend. Mercedes controlled much of the first half of the season, but the team has admitted that its development program is currently “out of sync” with improvements introduced by its rivals.
McLaren arrived with momentum after Norris claimed his first victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team also has a strong recent record at Zandvoort, where Norris won in 2024 before Piastri followed with victory in 2025.
Ferrari also showed competitive pace, while Verstappen will seek to give his home supporters a final victory at the circuit. The Dutch Grand Prix will leave the Formula One calendar after this year following the organizers’ decision to end the event.
“Thanks to the fans. You guys always give us a great race, and it’s a very unique circuit,” Russell told the Zandvoort crowd.
Kimi Antonelli will head to the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort with a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One drivers’ championship.
The Mercedes driver sits at the top with 219 points, followed by Hamilton with 169 and George Russell with 160. Charles Leclerc is fourth with 138 points, while Lando Norris completes the top five with 128.
Max Verstappen returns to his home race in sixth place with 109 points. Oscar Piastri follows with 92, ahead of Isack Hadjar with 68, Liam Lawson with 43 and Pierre Gasly with 42.
Mercedes also leads the constructors’ championship with 379 points. Ferrari is second with 307, while McLaren holds third with 220.
Red Bull has 177 points, followed by Racing Bulls with 66 and Alpine with 61. Haas, Audi, Williams, Aston Martin and Cadillac complete the standings.
Carlos Sainz has signed a multi-year contract extension with Williams, ending speculation over his Formula One future despite a difficult season with the British team.
The announcement came a day after Williams confirmed that Alex Albon would stay for the 2027 campaign. The two drivers will continue to lead the team as it works to regain its competitive form.
Sainz joined Williams after previous stints with Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and Toro Rosso. The four-time Grand Prix winner has failed to score in the past six rounds, while the team has struggled throughout the opening half of the season.
Williams also missed the first pre-season test, which left the squad playing catch-up before the campaign began.
Despite those setbacks, Sainz said he believes the team has the people and resources needed to recover.
“I’m thrilled to announce my continued journey with the Williams family,” the 31-year-old said.
“I truly believe in the people that form this team, both at the factory and at the racetracks, and the investments and hard work that are happening in the background.”
Sainz added that he was as committed as he was on his first day with Williams and wanted to help return the team to the front of the grid.
Team principal James Vowles welcomed the decision ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
“Carlos is a leader of this team, and I’m thrilled that he can see what’s possible as we continue to rebuild it,” Vowles said.
He added that Sainz shares Williams’ ambitions and described the Spaniard and Albon as one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid.
Toyota Motor Philippines has opened qualifiers for the 2026 TGR Philippines Esports GT Championship, with participants given online and onsite routes into the national sim racing tournament.
Qualifying runs from August 17 to September 13. Players without their own gaming equipment may record their qualifying times at 11 GR performance dealerships across the country.
The participating dealerships are Toyota Makati, Toyota Alabang, Toyota Silang, Toyota San Fernando in Pampanga, Toyota Calamba, Toyota Cebu City, Toyota Otis, Toyota Commonwealth, Toyota Manila Bay, Toyota Global City and Toyota Santa Rosa.
Players may also compete from home if they have a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, Gran Turismo 7, an active PlayStation Network account and a PlayStation Plus subscription.
Both online and onsite participants must register at tinyurl.com/TGRPh-Esports-Reg to secure a qualifying schedule.
Toyota introduced a Junior Class this season for players aged 18 and below. Participants aged 19 and above will compete in the Sporting Class.
The new format expands a tournament that previously placed all competitors in one category. It also gives younger sim racers a separate route into the national and regional stages of the competition.
The 10 fastest players from each class will advance to the National Finals at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on September 27.
Three competitors will earn places in the regional finals. The Sporting Class and Junior Class champions will take the first two slots, while the third will go to the runner-up from either category with the higher points total after the final round.
Each class champion will receive P100,000, while the two runners-up will take home P75,000 each. Other national finalists will also receive cash prizes and official Gazoo Racing merchandise.
The championship serves as Toyota’s main sim racing competition in the Philippines. Previous winners have moved from virtual racing into the TGR Philippine Cup, which gives competitors a possible route from Gran Turismo 7 to an actual racetrack.
