<p>George Russell topped the times ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes bounced back to form with a one-two in Friday's opening practice for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.</p>.<p>There was disappointment for a raucous home crowd as local hero and world champion Max Verstappen watched from the pits after his Red Bull car suffered an early gearbox failure.</p>.<p>Russell, 24, clocked a best lap in 1min 12.455 seconds to outpace seven-time champion Hamilton by two-tenths on a dry day amid the seaside sand dunes.</p>.<p>Carlos Sainz was third for Ferrari ahead of Lando Norris and his McLaren team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.</p>.<p>Charles Leclerc was sixth in the second Ferrari.</p>.<p>Sergio Perez was seventh in the second Bull ahead of the two Alpines of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon with Alex Albon 10th for Williams.</p>.<p>On a warm and dry day, Alonso delivered an early fastest lap that was soon eclipsed by Norris before Verstappen and then Ricciardo took over at the top of the timing screens.</p>.<p>In front of a packed crowd of his home 'orange army' fans, Verstappen on hard tyres clocked 1:14.714, a full half-second quicker than the rest before he came to a halt out on the track after Turn Three with a gearbox problem.</p>.<p>This resulted in a red flag which halted the session for nine minutes to retrieve the Dutchman's car and return it to the pits.</p>.<p>After the roars that had greeted his emergence, there was near-silence as his Red Bull was recovered before the action resumed with Alonso, again, and then Norris topping the times on soft tyres.</p>.<p>Sainz then showed Ferrari were keen to demonstrate their pace with a lap in 1:12.845 after half an hour before Mercedes joined the fray, Russell going top with 12 minutes remaining and then Hamilton slotting in second.</p>
<p>George Russell topped the times ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes bounced back to form with a one-two in Friday's opening practice for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.</p>.<p>There was disappointment for a raucous home crowd as local hero and world champion Max Verstappen watched from the pits after his Red Bull car suffered an early gearbox failure.</p>.<p>Russell, 24, clocked a best lap in 1min 12.455 seconds to outpace seven-time champion Hamilton by two-tenths on a dry day amid the seaside sand dunes.</p>.<p>Carlos Sainz was third for Ferrari ahead of Lando Norris and his McLaren team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.</p>.<p>Charles Leclerc was sixth in the second Ferrari.</p>.<p>Sergio Perez was seventh in the second Bull ahead of the two Alpines of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon with Alex Albon 10th for Williams.</p>.<p>On a warm and dry day, Alonso delivered an early fastest lap that was soon eclipsed by Norris before Verstappen and then Ricciardo took over at the top of the timing screens.</p>.<p>In front of a packed crowd of his home 'orange army' fans, Verstappen on hard tyres clocked 1:14.714, a full half-second quicker than the rest before he came to a halt out on the track after Turn Three with a gearbox problem.</p>.<p>This resulted in a red flag which halted the session for nine minutes to retrieve the Dutchman's car and return it to the pits.</p>.<p>After the roars that had greeted his emergence, there was near-silence as his Red Bull was recovered before the action resumed with Alonso, again, and then Norris topping the times on soft tyres.</p>.<p>Sainz then showed Ferrari were keen to demonstrate their pace with a lap in 1:12.845 after half an hour before Mercedes joined the fray, Russell going top with 12 minutes remaining and then Hamilton slotting in second.</p>