Lando Norris was fastest in the first practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday.

Norris, who is 78 points behind Max Verstappen in the overall standings before the final ten laps, beat Verstappen by two tenths.

Lewis Hamilton finished third, one place ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with Mercedes’ George Russell fifth.

After a four-week break, the Formula 1 season is back in full swing here in the coastal town of Zandvoort, 37 kilometers outside Amsterdam.

However, wind speeds of nearly 72 km/h and light rain meant that travel was restricted for the first half of the one-hour session.

Pierre Gasly described the weather as wild and Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg went off the road several times as he braved the testing conditions.

But as the session progressed, the sun broke through and the track dried out, allowing for some fast runs in the final minutes.

And it was Norris, hoping to reignite his stalled title challenge, who set the fastest time in his updated McLaren.

Verstappen, who has failed to win in his last four appearances – the first time since 2020 – has dominated his home race since returning to the calendar in 2021, winning all three editions from pole position.

But the results of the first run suggest that the Red Bull driver, who spun in the chicane and was only able to return to the pits, may not have it quite so easy as Norris proved McLaren’s pace.

Hamilton, who had won two of the last three races for his rejuvenated Mercedes team, crossed the finish line almost seven tenths behind.

Further improvement in the weather is expected for the second session, which begins at 4pm local time (3pm BST).