The Dutch Grand Prix returns to the sunny seaside resort of Zandvoort this week and leading the charge at the front of the pack is Max Verstappen.
Going into this year's race, Verstappen has already proved that he will be the favourite to win again, having triumphed here in 2021, after dominating so far this season. He and his teammate Sergio Perez will quietly chip away at the rest of the pack with more dominating performances and fastest laps, however off-track it seems that there might be some decisions to be made about the future of Red Bull Racing.
Porsche and Red Bull were set to team up, with the German luxury car brand entering F1 in 2026 as an engine provider but it now looks like that deal is off and Christian Horner will be considering other options, including extending their current deal with Honda.
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Behind them in the constructors’ standings are Ferrari. Carlos Sainz managed to get onto the podium in Belgium last week, but Charles Leclerc notably struggled once again as his team continued to try and find the correct strategy for their Monegasque star driver.
Leclerc was questioned by his race engineer throughout his race, eventually forcing him to lose out on fifth place as he pitted for fresh tyres in an attempt to get the fastest lap, but got a five-second penalty for speeding instead. Leclerc and Sainz have insisted that there is no frustration on their side, but it’s getting harder to believe with each passing race. Even team principal Mattia Binotto said that the mistakes were making him ‘depressed’.
Zandvoort will fit the fast cornering Ferrari a lot more than the Red Bull, so a big weekend is needed from the Scuderia.
Mick Schumacher also made headlines this week as he confirmed he will no longer be racing under the Ferrari Driver Academy umbrella as he expands his search for a team for next season.
Currently driving for Haas, Schumacher benefitted from being part of the group that produced Indycar’s Callum Ilott and Ferrari test driver Robert Schwartzman as he could get a seat with the Scuderia’s partners, like Haas and Alfa Romeo. Now he’s leaving this group, he will be able to join any team on the grid rather than perhaps being stuck choosing between just three.
Haas are still looking at alternatives for next season, with an offer for Daniel Ricciardo being discussed with team boss Gunther Steiner last weekend.
Mercedes-AMG struggled at Spa as Lewis Hamilton failed to finish the first lap and George Russell settled for fourth after a tough day out. It looks like the ‘Silver Arrows’ were hoping F1’s new technical directive would slow down the two teams at the top, but Red Bull were anything but slow.
Not only did Hamilton’s crash last week ruin his race this week, it may have a knock-on effect in the Netherlands. The seven-time champion will potentially have ruined his third power unit of the season, and he’s on the last of four parts in the power unit department, which means that he will face grid penalties if Toto Wolff decides to go with a fresh engine for the rest of the season.
Alpine have their hands full for the rest of the season. Fernando Alonso is experienced enough to show that he will remain professional for the rest of the season until he leaves, but eyes will be on the rest of the grid as the French team look at a new driver for next year. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly tops the list of potential candidates for the team, with Red Bull’s head of driver development Helmut Marko saying that they will not stand in his way if he chooses to leave for Alpine.
Daniel Ricciardo was making the news for McLaren after he put in another disappointing performance at Spa, with Christian Horner saying he ‘doesn’t even recognise’ his former driver. Sebastian Vettel also said that McLaren didn’t make the most of their Australian star’s potential, and this weekend doesn’t look like it’ll be a breakthrough for him.
Lando Norris might be looking forward to the weekend a bit more however. The British 22-year-old used to race a lot in Zandvoort as a junior and holds the record for the fastest ever lap in Formula 3 around the circuit. It’s clearly a track he enjoys, it’s just a question of whether his lacklustre McLaren can keep up.
Sebastian Vettel put in a stellar eighth place finish in Belgium last weekend, but pointed out the Aston Martin’s ‘Achilles heel’ in its qualifying pace. The AMR21 severely lacks pace but should use their former champion driver to help them develop a better car for next year. Mike Krack will hope that the DRS straight at Zandvoort is extended like it is currently planned to be, however it will be tested during Friday’s practice sessions as Pirelli will be watching nervously in case their tyres can’t quite take the speed and camber of turn 14.
Alfa Romeo are expected to keep Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou for another year, with veteran teammate Valtteri Bottas backing him to earn another season with the Swiss-Italian team. A Ferrari engine car should have decent speed on a track like Zandvoort, so maybe expect Bottas to restart his incredible record of reaching Q3 after missing out for the first time in five years last week.
Finally, Williams can be thrilled with the performances of Alex Albon. A cheap performance upgrade was granted as his team cut off the top of his rear wing, and he gained a great benefit as he managed to reach Q3 in a Williams car that famously struggles at the back of the pack. Albon also confirmed that he is no longer tied to Red Bull in any way, meaning that he is 100% committed to Williams for the future. He’s a great asset and Williams look to be in a good position for next season, maybe even getting some points before the end of the current campaign.
The track itself is steeped in history. It’s lengthy straight and pit lane was originally constructed in the fourties, as the Mayor of Zandvoort persuaded the invading Nazi forces to construct a long road through the middle of the dunes, to parade when victorious in the war. The mayor had wanted to do this anyway but lacked funding, and following the war, the long parade road was widened further, and adjoining roads were connected to form the remnants of what we now know as the Circuit Zandvoort.
It’s a treacherous circuit, featuring steep turns and elevation changes with an additional challenge of cambered corners, meaning that wet weather immediately adds risk to any driver. Also, to any Hot Fuzz fans out there, Zandvoort is a direct translation of the name Sandford, however the locals are much friendlier.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
