Oscar Piastri beat title rival Lando Norris in a thrilling battle for pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix as McLaren again blew away the field at Zandvoort.

Norris has won three of the last four races to close within nine points of team-mate Piastri in the drivers’ championship with 10 rounds remaining.

But it was the Australian who came out on top in the qualifying scrap, delivering a sensational lap to beat Norris by just 0.012 seconds and claim his fifth pole of the season.

Norris played down talk that momentum was on his side ahead of the resumption following the summer break.

He had returned in commanding fashion, topping all three practice sessions, but – as so often this season – Piastri found the answer when he needed it.

Norris: “It was close, it has been close the wh

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