The FIA Formula 3 Dutch Grand Prix practice session began with sand blowing across the track, thanks to the setting of the Zandvoort track.
Many drivers were struggling in the conditions, but with ten minutes gone in the session, Francesco Pizzi topped the time sheets with 1:28.014 in the Charouz Racing System car, followed by his teammate, the returning David Schumacher, in second.
However, as the drivers began to get to grips with the track, purple sectors were being set all over the grid.
It would be Victor Martins who would go top, setting a 1:26.105, 0.604 seconds clear of Franco Colapinto who sat second, with Oliver Bearman down in third.
Later on in the session, a virtual safety car was deployed as Brad Benavides went off at turn eight and was unable to get his Carlin car out of the gravel.
The session was then resumed, with fourteen minutes remaining.
Entering the final ten minutes, Victor Martins led, followed by Caio Collet and Franco Colapinto, Roman Stanek and Jak Crawford rounding out the top five.
Aleksandr Smolyar then went second in the MP Motorsport car, but the position was quickly snatched back by Caio Collet. However, the Brazilian was still 0.392 seconds down on session leader Victor Martins.
As free practice neared its conclusion, Van Amersfoort’s Reece Ushijima found himself in the barriers at turn 9, and the virtual safety car made another appearance.
The green flag would not be waived and the session ended under a virtual safety car in Zandvoort.
This meant Victor Martins topped the times for ART, as Caio Collet, Aleksandr Smolyar, Jak Crawford, and Franco Colapinto completed the top five.
Championship leader Isack Hadjar finished the session down in twelfth, as debutant Sebastian Montoya sat seventeenth in his first-ever Formula 3 practice session.
