Horner expected McLaren to ‘steal’ pole | ‘No one has Max’s confidence’

Verstappen claimed his eighth pole of F1 2023 - his third consecutive Dutch GP pole - with a stunning final lap in drying conditions.

The Dutchman’s margin was ultimately 0.537s - a substantial gap given the short nature of the Zandvoort circuit.

Norris was up on Verstappen in the first part of lap but lost time through the remaining two-thirds.

Piastri looked to be on the pace but struggled on his final lap, ultimately qualifying eighth, 1.3s off Verstappen.

Speaking after qualifying to Sky Sports, Horner said: “I thought in conditions like that, the McLaren seems to warm their tyres up pretty quickly, I thought they were going to be a lot closer than they were because in these conditions, a damp track, you need to generate the temperature. 

“I thought Lando or Oscar might have stolen it. Then a whole bunch of others turned up as well, so it was an interesting mix.”

It was another lacklustre qualifying showing from Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, securing seventh on the grid.

He was 1.313s off teammate Verstappen in qualifying.

Assessing Perez’s display at Zandvoort, he said: “What can you say in conditions like that? It’s the same for everybody, you’ve just got to go out there and feel the grip and put a lap in.

“For whatever reason he [Perez] hasn’t quite the confidence that certainly Max has - I don’t think anybody has had the confidence Max has –- so a harder session for him, but then there’s others around him who have struggled. 

“I didn’t expect Oscar, for example, to be behind him, so a mix behind him.”