It says on screen that the virtual safety car has been deployed but it hasn't, they are just testing the system.

A couple of drops of rain hit the camera down at Turn 7...

Once again there's a queue of cars looking to get out onto the circuit as soon as possible while it is dry.

Rosanna Tennant
5 Live F1 reporter in Zandvoort

It's dry at the moment but about 15 minutes ago there was a light sprinkling of rain around the circuit. Definitely one to watch over the next hour.

Lando Norris says it's "tricky, but certainly not impossible" to be friends with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

The pair are in a close battle for the drivers' championship, with Norris trailing by nine points ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.

"It's very difficult to have a combination of knowing deep down you really want to beat that person more than anything, but also have a very good working friendship," Norris tells BBC Newsbeat.

"I work so closely with him that [we're] naturally inclined to be good friends, but I also want that."

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist in Zandvoort

Image source, BBC Sport

The Spanish contingent have arrived in Zandvoort. Alberto, Carlos, Daniel, Lucia and Ismael (left to right) have made the short journey to the Netherlands to cheer on the likes of Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and countryman Fernando Alonso. “We just want to get noticed by a team so we can get into the paddock,” the group joke.

Who do they think is going to win on Sunday? “Lando!” says Lucia emphatically. “McLaren is the easy choice,” replies Daniel. “Being here in Zandvoort, if Max wins, we will go out and enjoy,” says Alberto.

Carlos and Alberto are also praying the F1 gods work their magic for an (admittedly unlikely) Alonso victory. “We can dream,” says Carlos.

Don't forget you can listen to second practice live commentary via BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers.

Tune in now!

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist in Zandvoort

Image source, DJ Admin Instagram

DJ Admin, real name Rick Jansen, is entertaining the Orange Army at the Max Verstappen grandstand not only for this weekend, but around the Formula 1 campaign. It’s his job to keep the party going for as long as possible, with the heaviest of Dutch dance tunes.

This is the beginning of Zandvoort’s last hurrah on the calendar, as come the end of the 2026 race, it will be no more. We’ve been used to seeing the Dutch Grand Prix as a packed out riot of colour in the past five years, but Jansen points out that Zandvoort’s departure might not be such a bad thing.

“I think the fans are satisfied,” Jansen told BBC Sport. “And, you know, they are like 17 million people in Holland; they are traveling around the world.

“So what we are seeing now is everybody who wanted to see the F1 has visited already. So I think they're satisfied with it.

“And for them, like in the 2023 season, everybody knew he would win, and that was not good either for the atmosphere on the grandstand.”

Read more about Rick's story here.

Well it was lovely and sunny for first practice, if a bit windy, but now the sky is looking far more moody with lots of clouds. Could we see some rain in this session?

Second practice gets under way at 15:00 BST.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and welcome back to our coverage of Friday practice for the Dutch Grand Prix.

The McLarens have returned from the summer break looking stronger than ever as they led the way in first practice, will that continue in FP2?

Let's hope this session makes us all as happy as the above woman seeing a giant orange lion.

Right, we're going to pause for some lunch but we will be back for build up and coverage of second practice from 14:45 BST.

See you then!

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Lando Norris led McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by 0.292 seconds in first practice at the Dutch Grand Prix as the Formula 1 season restarted after its summer break.

Norris, trailing the Australian by nine points in the championship with 10 races to go, looked more comfortable than Piastri on their fastest laps with the soft tyre midway through the session.

The Briton appeared to have a similar advantage on the race-simulation runs McLaren ran in the closing stages.

Lance Stroll was an impressive third fastest in the Aston Martin, 0.501secs off the pace, the Canadian sneaking ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso by 0.062secs.

Stroll set his lap much later in the session than Alonso and the other leading cars, when the track would have been faster.

Alex Albon's Williams was fifth fastest, ahead of Max Verstappen's Red Bull and Mercedes' George Russell, whose team-mate Kimi Antonelli missed most of the session after sliding off the track at Turn Nine and causing a red flag early on.

Ferrari appeared to be struggling, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton down in 14th and 15th places. Leclerc complained over the radio at one point that the team were "nowhere".

Read the full report here.

So McLaren are looking like they are picking up right from where they left off but there was also a strong showing from the Aston Martins.

The Ferraris, however, were way down the order and will be looking for a big improvement in second practice.

Oh what's happened here? Max Verstappen is stuck partially on the gravel and an escape road after doing a practice start.

George Russell is the latest to end up on the gravel but he is able to keep going to get on to an escape road.

Everyone is out on the track for the final couple of minutes apart from Kimi Antonelli, who has lost a lot of important time on the circuit after ending up in the gravel earlier.

An improvement for Lance Stroll as he does a 1:10.779 to go third quickest.

Both Ferraris are way down the timing sheet with Charles Leclerc 14th and Lewis Hamilton 15th, more than 1.5s off the pace of the McLarens.

Image source, Reuters