Audi Revolut F1 Team claimed a spot in the top ten in Sprint Qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix.

On a day that started rainy but turned dry by the time the on-track action began, Gabriel Bortoleto set the ninth fastest time in the session to set the grid for tomorrow's Sprint race. The track, quite dusty after heavy showers during the night and battered by strong winds, provided a true challenge: despite a strong showing in the only practice session of the weekend, Nico Hulkenberg couldn't find the optimal grip in Sprint Qualifying and bowed out in SQ2, setting the 14th fastest time of the day.

Tomorrow's Sprint, with the threat of rain still hanging over Zandvoort, will provide opportunities for the team to fight its way into the points, before the grid for Sunday's final Dutch Grand Prix is set in Qualifying.

Allan McNish, Racing Director: "Overall, it was quite a difficult day for everybody, with the dusty track conditions, the wind and only one practice session before going into Sprint Qualifying. For all the teams and drivers, I don't think it was particularly easy.

"We found that the car was competitive straight away in free practice, all the way through the session and on both tyres we used. Ultimately, Gabi was able to get into Q3 and qualify ninth, which is a good start to the weekend.

"On the other side of the garage, Nico was very quick in free practice but didn't quite have the same feeling and connection with the car in the second part of qualifying, and eventually qualified 14th. Still, the Sprint offers us an opportunity to understand what happened and address it for tomorrow, and I am confident we can get back in contention with both cars."

Nico Hulkenberg: "It was a day of two quite different sessions. FP1 felt positive - I had a good feeling with the car and we seemed to be in a good place. In Sprint Qualifying, though, the feeling was different and I didn't have the same level of grip, which made it more difficult to find the same sweet spot as in the morning. We'll have a look at what changed between the two sessions."

Gabriel Bortoleto: "It's good to come back after the summer break with a strong result, but we're mindful it's only the beginning of the weekend. FP1 was already encouraging, and after some fine-tuning we took another step forward in Sprint Qualifying. There are still some areas where to improve, and our direct competitors will keep progressing as well; on top of it, the weather here can change quite fast.

"Starting from P9 in tomorrow's Sprint, the goal is to fight our way into the points. It'll be a battle but I'm feeling positive about what we can achieve from there on."

Check out our Friday gallery from the Zandvoort here.