Now Max Verstappen goes quickest with a 1:09.754, half a second quicker than Lewis Hamilton.

Everyone is out on the track now to get their first runs in.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Traffic is definitely a big issue here. It's such a blind circuit, it's high-speed so you really need that information from your engineer to make sure you're able to jump out the way if you're on a cool lap.

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist in Zandvoort

Image source, BBC Sport

The weather here in Zandvoort is glorious. Raimond, Sander, Woulter and Kevin are enjoying the hospitality in the fan zone. They’re Max Verstappen fans who have followed the four-time world champion across the F1 calendar, seeing two of his four title wins - 2021 and 2022 - live. “I don’t make much of Max’s chances,” says Kevin. “It’s been a terrible year.”

“I think P3 today,” Woulter says, optimistically.

Verstappen’s hopes for championship glory have all but faded for this season but he’s not completely down and out. “He will get a fifth title,” say the group.

"That's done, I guess?" Lance Stroll asks.

"We'll see what we can do," is the response.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It was a massive hit into the wall on the rear of the car and the whole right side.

I don't think he will be going back out again after that, it's amazing that he has been able to stop the red flag coming out and get it back to the pits.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is currently fastest in the Ferrari with 1:10.224.

Yellow flagpublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 30 August

14:05 BST 30 August

Oh Lance Stroll is off and into the gravel!

He touched the grass coming up to Turn 13 and spun into the barrier. The front wing is wrecked, the tyres are wrecked but he is able to limp it home.

That wind is certainly going to play a role in this qualifying session.

We're on board with Oliver Bearman as he does a 1:10.262 and you can see a couple of moments when he is battling the conditions.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

You are on a knife-edge throughout the whole lap and it's very easy to overdrive and push a little bit too much in a corner and pay the consequences on the exits.

Off we go with the first part of qualifying. Yuki Tsunoda is one of the first out on track.

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Fergusson
BBC weather forecaster

Air temp is 20.7C & the track 34C. Brisk SW wind, with gusts to 27mph in the past hour. Currently dry; FIA official risk of rain is 10%.

You know the drill by now but first up in qualifying is 18 minutes of Q1, during which the five slowest cars are eliminated.

Q2 is 15 minutes long and sees the next slowest five drop out.

Finally there's Q3 - a 12-minute battle for pole position.

Fernando Alonso has looked quick so far. He's played down his chances of challenging the McLarens and it will be a tough task for anyone to get close, but if he can put together the perfect lap then who knows.

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist in Zandvoort

Image source, BBC Sport

Brits Julie, Dean and Kavita are in fine form down at the fan zone. Definitely Lando for pole,” says Dean. “He’s fired up and ready to go!” Adds Julie.

So far, so good for Lando. But what about overhauling the nine-point deficit to team-mate Oscar Piastri? “Oscar’s going to get the title,” says Dean.

When I ask Kavita what Mercedes’ chances are this weekend, she gives me the ‘I’m staying tight-lipped’ signal. Oh dear. “Actually, Max is under tremendous pressure to win here,” Kavita adds. “He has to be P1 today and win.”

I ask about fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton’s chances in Zandvoort. “Well, Lewis Hamilton is the eight-time world champion,” says Dean. On Dutch soil, can you even say that out loud?! “Mum’s the word!” he jokes.

Image source, Getty Images

Since the Dutch Grand Prix returned to the calendar, securing pole position has been key.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won his home race in 2021, 2022 and 2023 from pole position.

Last year it was Lando Norris who took pole and went on to win the race.

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist in Zandvoort

Image source, BBC Sport

Ed and Will are on a dad and lad trip to Zandvoort from the Wirral. I spy Ed’s Newcastle shirt and detour from F1 to ask about awol striker Alexander Isak. “We’ve signed Nick Woltemade now, so it’s OK,” he says. Phew.

The weekend, he says, has been “buzzing” so far. As for who will take the all-important pole today, it’s Lando Norris across the board. And the drivers’ title?

“I think it will be close [with Oscar Piastri] but I think Lando will just edge it,” says Will. Down to the wire in Abu Dhabi maybe? “No, a couple of races before.”

“Lando is looking so good,” adds Ed. “I think he’s been sandbagging a bit the first part of the season. He will almost certainly win the title.”

I can't quite hear the music being played at the circuit via the TV coverage so it makes for quite an amusing scene watching fans in the stands dance vigorously to what for me is silence.

They are having a cracking time though and that's the main thing. The sun is still shining but it is very windy.

Qualifying: 14:00-15:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and smart speakers)

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and welcome along to our coverage of qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix.

The weekend has belonged to Lando Norris so far after finishing fastest in all three practice sessions but we know that doesn't always translate to domination in qualifying too.

Will championship leader and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri push him even closer in the battle for pole position? Or will a surprise be sprung from elsewhere?

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Zandvoort

Image source, PA Media

Lando Norris made it a clean sweep of practice at the Dutch Grand Prix by topping the final session before qualifying from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Norris was 0.242 seconds quicker than his title rival as the two McLarens lapped in a different dimension from the rest of the field.

The Briton was 0.886secs quicker than’ George Russell in third place, while a similar margin separated the Mercedes driver from Esteban Ocon’s Haas in 18th.

Norris, who trails Piastri by nine points with 10 races remaining this season, has looked to have a pace advantage over the Australian all weekend so far.

Russell headed Williams driver Carlos Sainz, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari was down in 14th place, 0.435secs behind his team-mate, after he and Leclerc had previously looked closely matched.

Friday’s sessions were punctuated by a series of incidents and red-flag stoppages but the final session was incident-free despite overnight rain cleaning the Zandvoort track.

However, there were a series of near-misses with traffic, the most scary when Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin had to go into the pit lane rather than complete a flying lap to avoid Russell as the Briton himself tried to pit after a slow lap.

Alonso had been second fastest on Friday but ended the session 10th after that incident ruined his best lap. His team-mate Lance Stroll ended the session eighth, behind Williams’ Alex Albon and ahead of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.