Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on Sports Extra 3

We're just looking at Oscar Piastri, who is on the medium tyres and interestingly, it looked like everybody up and down the pit lane was sat on intermediate tyres, thinking that was going to be the tyre, because it was damp. But that little early radio call and exploratory lap from Nico Hulkenberg just confirming it is dry enough for slicks now.

Yuki Tsunoda is out on track for the first time this season.

Racing Bulls have deployed a set of hards to his car with these much-changing conditions.

Speaking of which, Oscar Piastri's gone one better, with a 1:20.480. Over five seconds faster than anyone else in these early stages.

Slick time it is, then.

Oscar Piastri has zoomed into P1 with a 1:23.311 on the medium tyre. That's 2.251 seconds faster than Lewis Hamilton's previous fastest time on the intermediate.

Is it time for slicks? Well McLaren have bucked the trend here and have sent Oscar Piastri out with a set of mediums.

Ooh er.

Nico Hulkenberg's right, it's looking quite dry out on track right now other than the lead in to turn one, really.

Hulkenberg sets the first time of the session with a 1:26.555 but shortly after Lewis Hamilton goes almost a second faster and sets a 1:25.562.

"It's dry already, so maybe slicks."

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on Sports Extra 3

This is a big opportunity for Yuki Tsunoda - he's a big fan favourite - so it's great to see him get another opportunity.

And we know that Racing Bulls can mix it in the midfield, so he's got a chance to put on a show here.

Nico Hulkenberg and Kimi Antonelli are the first cars out on track.

They're shortly joined by the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.

With a drying track, they're all on the intermediate.

We've gone green.

We are under way at quite a gloomy Zandvoort.

BBC Sounds

Think you've got to rely on my ramblings on this page to keep track of what's going on? Think again.

To listen to commentary of first practice, you can either click the 'listen live' tab at the top of the page, head over to the BBC Sounds app and search for Sports Extra 3 if you're heading out or you can ask your smart speaker to "play Sports Extra".

BBC Weather

What's the weather like in Zandvoort this weekend?

Much the same as in the UK, really. About 18 degrees, bit of clouds, bit of sun and a small chance of rain.

Not quite the boiling hot temperatures we've been experiencing during the European part of the season up until the summer break, put it that way.

Image source, Getty Images

Williams have confirmed their driver pairing for the 2027 season, with both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz signing new contracts during the summer break.

Albon, 30, has put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension, while 31-year-old Sainz is staying with the team into 2027 and beyond on "a multi-year" deal.

It's been a difficult campaign so far for Williams, who finished fifth in the constructors' championship last season but have now slipped behind Audi, Haas, Alpine and Racing Bulls.

However, four-time race winner Sainz said: "We have what it takes to turn this around together. I'm as committed as I was on day one to helping get Williams back to where it belongs, and I look forward to creating more memories with the team."

Albon, who is the team's longest-serving driver, added: "One tough year doesn't tell the full picture, and it only gives me more motivation to keep building and pushing together with the factory and our fans to achieve great things."

Image source, Getty Images

Red Bull are having to make a slight change to their driver line-up this weekend, as Isack Hadjar has been sidelined for the Dutch Grand Prix with an injured wrist.

The Frenchman will be replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson, who normally races for Red Bull's second team Racing Bulls.

Lawson's replacement will be Japan's Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull's reserve driver, who was dropped from the leading team at the end of last season.

Hadjar is understood to have broken his wrist while boxing.

"It's great to be back," said Tsunoda on Thursday. "When I heard the news, I was in Greece... at that moment, I was probably lying down at the beach, having a nice time.

"On Tuesday. I got a call to say I might potential be in hte seat this weekend. When I heard, I was like, half excited, half still doubtful, because anything can happen.

"[I'm] super-excited and feeling physically fit."

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen has committed his future to Red Bull in the build-up to his final home race at Zandvoort this weekend.

The four-time world champion, who had been been linked with potential moves to Mercedes or McLaren, has signed a new deal with the team until the end of 2030.

Verstappen was previously contracted to the end of 2028, but there were clauses in his contract that would have allowed him to leave at the end of the current Formula 1 season had he wanted.

"We have the best people and I'm excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again," said the Dutchman.

"This remains the ultimate goal that all of us have been working towards and will continue to pursue.

"I have always said it: the team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home."

Image source, Getty Images

Mercedes head into the second half of the season with a 72-point advantage over second-placed Ferrari in the constructors' championship. Reigning title holders McLaren sit third, 43 points clear of Red Bull in fourth following Lando Norris' first victory of the season at the Hungaroring.

Racing Bulls jumped above Alpine with double points in Hungary last time out to claim fifth place, and Audi in eighth added another point to their tally thanks to Nico Hulkenberg's ninth-placed finish.

Image source, Getty Images

Teenager Kimi Antonelli, who turns 20 on Tuesday, is leading the drivers' championship by 50 points from seven-time title winner Lewis Hamilton, with Mercedes team-mate George Russell another 55 points off in third place.

Reigning world champion Lando Norris has moved to within 10 points of fourth-placed Charles Leclerc after his win in Hungary before the summer break, while Liam Lawson, stepping in for Isack Hadjar over at Red Bull in Zandvoort this weekend, is now one point ahead of Pierre Gasly in ninth spot.

Jay Freeman
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Right then. Break's over, kids. The greatest show on earth's back after what - to me at least - felt like an endless summer break.

The sweltering conditions might have subsided this week but the action is still hotting up on the track.

Before the season came to a pause, Lando Norris hauled his McLaren into P1.

In the drivers' standings, Kimi Antonelli continues to lead the way, with a fair old gap on second-placed Lewis Hamilton.

But can the chasing pack put a dent in the young Italian's dominance this season? And who's going to come out of a mid-season refresh looking ready to go?