GEORGE RUSSELL put Mercedes on top of the pile in practice for the Dutch Grand Prix today.

Russell, stripped of his victory at the last round in Belgium after his Mercedes was 1.5 kilograms underweight, finished 0.061 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Lewis Hamilton was third, a tenth slower than his Mercedes team-mate with Lando Norris, fastest in today’s first running, fourth — one place clear of home favourite Max Verstappen.

Mercedes have won three of the past four races and Russell’s pace indicates they are set to be contenders again.

The opening running on Formula One’s return to action after its traditional summer slumber was disrupted by rain and 50mph winds.

However, the second session took place under clear skies with Russell underlining Mercedes’ speed.

Verstappen will be cheered on by 105,000 fans as he bids for his fourth consecutive victory on home soil, having dominated in Zandvoort since the sport returned to the coastal town in 2021.

But the Dutch driver did not trouble the top of the timecharts today after he finished 0.284 sec behind Russell. Sergio Perez was 12th in the other Red Bull, nearly nine-tenths back.

The running was red-flagged early on when Nico Hulkenberg crashed out at the opening corner, while a number of drivers face investigations by the stewards.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll had to slam on the brakes after Williams’ Alex Albon was released into his path in the pit lane with RB’s Daniel Ricciardo also having to take evasive action following a near-miss with Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was able to complete just seven laps after a gearbox failure ruled him out of the majority of the one-hour session.