That rain arrival has been upgraded to five minutes away as Max Verstappen leads the field away for the formation lap.

No rain at the moment but apparently there will be some arriving around 20 minutes into the race.

Everyone is on the soft tyre apart from Lewis Hamilton, who is on mediums. He's looking to go long in his first stint.

Liam Lawson has stepped up this weekend to replace Alpha Tauri's Daniel Ricciardo following his hand injury.

On his F1 debut, Lawson's told Sky Sports: "It's a lot faster than what was already quite fast yesterday so obviously it's going to be a challenging day, especially the first part of the race but I'm excited."

On today's strategy, he said: " We spent the first part of (yesterday) learning, and trying to get an idea, obviously different compound on tyres are going to deg and I need to feel that so I had a chance to play with the tools and just get used to it so it will be a good learning curve (today)."

George Russell starts in P3 in the Mercedes, he told Sky Sports: "I will be going for it if there's a space for sure, obviously Max hasn't got a lot to lose as he knows at any point in the race he will be able to fly back through so I'm not going to take any stupid risks, today the fight is truly with Lando, if Alex manages to hold off Fernando in Lap One as well that would be good for us. If not, Fernando will be in the fight as well, but it should be a good battle for P2."

Peter Gretton: I don't get all this talk about "boring season, Max is just walking away.." Are these people saying all they care about is who comes first? And that the rest don't matter? That can't be right, surely?

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

There is no obvious, slam-dunk strategy for this race. The medium-hard one-stop is most tempting in terms of the ideal lone race. But in the context of a competition, it carries risks. Dare a driver start on the medium, given that this weekend it is Pirelli’s C2 tyre, which has the reputation of being a tricky tyre? At some races, it works well; at others less so. And it’s relatively hard, which means that there is a significant risk of losing places at the start, on a track where overtaking is more difficult than at most places. Lose position, and the one-stop starts to look less attractive.

But start on the soft, and there is a real possibility you will be forced into a two-stop race, and then you have the challenge of overtaking anyway. Although as overtaking depends on tyre condition, that may not be such a problem in those circumstances.

The weather throws in more variables. Will it rain? It was expected to before the race, but then it didn’t. Teams didn’t think they would see the sun, but then it came out with about 90 minutes to go.

At the front, Max Verstappen is expected to be in a race of his own, but how will the battle between McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari play out? McLaren are wary of their tendency to over-use tyres and expect George Russell and Fernando Alonso to be at least as fast as them. And then there is Sergio Perez’s Red Bull to take into account.

A pit stop takes about 23 seconds - one of the longer times - and 13 seconds under a safety car. The pit lane is cramped, which is a safety issue as well as a sporting one. So in the event of a safety car, race direction may step in to prevent problems.

Image source, Getty Images

It hasn't appeared to be a grid swamped with celebrities but Hollywood actor Steve Carell is in attendance today.

Max Verstappen talking to Sky Sports on the atmosphere at his home grand prix: "It's good, luckily the weather seems to clear up a bit which is always nice. We'll see during the race. I feel good in the car."

On bantering with Lando Norris: "Yeah we were joking about it before so that's fine mate, I'll get you."

On overtaking: "If you're quick enough you'll find a way."

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Zandvoort

Image source, Getty Images

A wet-dry qualifying session on one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar tested all the Formula 1 drivers to their limits, but arguably the standout performance of Saturday at the Dutch Grand Prix was from the driver in fourth place on the grid.

Behind a predictably stunning pole position by Max Verstappen, the now expected frontrunner McLaren of Lando Norris, and a mini-revival from George Russell in the Mercedes, was Alex Albon in the Williams.

Albon has been having a quietly standout season in a team that is being transformed under new principal James Vowles, but this is easily the highlight so far.

Not only was it comfortably the best Williams grid position since Russell's stunning second place in the wet in Belgium two years ago, but it came at a place where Williams were not expected to go well.

Lando Norris starts in P2 today behind Max Verstappen. He spoke to Sky Sports pre-race saying: "Like I've always said we get on, we respect each other away from the track and we do on the track, but on the track he wants to beat me and I want to beat him you know so that's how it is and that's my mindset is heading into today."

On his plans for the race, he added: "I think it's much hard to overtake it's not an easy track, I think the pace is good but there are some more places we will struggle here than where we did at Silverstone, but if I have a chance there's probably more here than there is at Silverstone at the same time so it's complicated. But we have a chance and we will go for it, I'm not going to sit behind and watch him drive away, but if I don't get past him at the start that's probably what's going to happen."

Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra now deliver a fantastic rendition of the Dutch national anthem.

I still can't believe Damian Lewis singing the British national anthem at Silverstone was real.

Jeremiah Kariuki: Expect Hamilton to do some fighting upwards. With strategy luck and possible safety car interludes, he could finish higher up.

The dance music has stopped and now Andre Rieu is leading a colourful orchestra in playing some classical music that has got the crowd in the stands swaying and waving flags that form a giant Netherlands flag.

Have to say, the organisers are really putting on a show here.

Ian Fergusson
BBC weather forecaster

Air temp is 18C & track 28.6C under sunny spells & variable cloud. Wind SW, gusts to 19mph. A nearby heavy shower is set to just miss the circuit by 4km off to the WNW. FIA official risk of rain will be issued shortly...

Now the marshals are dancing along to this dance-song megamix.

Anyway, back to the race. Lewis Hamilton could give us some entertainment as he starts 13th and with plenty of opportunities to attack. He's got Pierre Gasly and Lance Stroll ahead of him.

Hamilton failed to get through to the top-10 shootout yesterday after Mercedes mistimed his final flying lap run.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's Dutch violinist André Rieu listening to the hardcore dance music pumping out over the circuit while a chap wearing an "Eat More Ginger" scarf takes a photo of him.

Of course there is a DJ on the track now.

I'd say I've heard Darude's Sandstorm roughly 1,236 times over the last few days.

The Dutch crowd absolutely love some banging beats from the late 90s/early 2000s and, to be fair, it does a cracking job of getting the pre-race atmosphere bubbling.

Image source, Getty Images

George Russell, who starts third: "It's going to be a good race. I don't think we will have the pace to fight with Max. He's in a bit of a league of his own at the moment. But I'm confident Lando and I can have a good fight.

"Great to see Alex up there in P4. He'll probably be in the fight at the beginning of the race and then we will have to see the progress of Checo. He is probably going to be the next threat from behind."

Larry Jay: I don't mind if Max wins all the time but had competition. However if a driver (including Hamilton) wins by 20 seconds, it doesn't interest me in the slightest and it's too predictable. This has to be one of the worst seasons of F1 I've seen in 25 years.