2025 Dutch Grand Prix – Friday
Zandvoort, 29 August 2025 – KICK Sauber F1 Team returned to action on a busy Friday in Zandvoort. With the threat of rain hanging over the circuit – precipitation eventually making an appearance only after the chequered flag – the Dutch Grand Prix venue was host to two sessions packed with thrills and spills, as the drivers got back to grips with racing.
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto had a clean day, navigating the tricky circuit and the pitfalls it presents to deliver reams of data for the team to analyse overnight, ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying session.
Nico Hulkenberg (car number 27):
FP1: 13th / 1:11.875 (30 laps)
FP2: 10th / 1:11.080 (25 laps)
“It was a fairly typical Friday for us - nothing out of the ordinary. Overall, we’re reasonably satisfied with how things went today. Conditions were a bit tricky at times, especially with the looming threat of rain, so staying clean and in control was important, and we did that throughout both sessions. The field is incredibly tight once again, so every detail counts. Now it’s about fine-tuning and digging into the data to find those last gains before tomorrow.”
Gabriel Bortoleto (car number 5):
FP1: 9th / 1:11.509 (30 laps)
FP2: 13th / 1:11.320 (25 laps)
“It’s been a positive, straightforward day. Getting back in the car after the summer break, the feeling was good straight away, and I was happy with the balance throughout my laps. We made some encouraging steps in between the two sessions, and tomorrow is about refining a bit more, getting into the best shape for qualifying, and making sure we do the best job we can.”