After three F1-free weekends since Hungary, the summer break is over and racing resumes with a sprint-format in Zandvoort.
The main news is that HAD has injured his hand and so will not participate this weekend; LAW will take HAD’s seat at Red Bull, further demonstrating that it’s really one team with four cars and not two separate teams as Red Bull claim. Yuki Tsunoda (TSU) will fill LAW’s seat at the 2nd RB team. In other RB news, VER has signed a contract extension through to the end of the 2030 season; not really a surprise, but I’m glad he’s not going to poison any other team.
Both Williams drivers also renewed their contracts, meanwhile STR threatened to leave Aston Martin if the car doesn’t improve (yeah, sure!).
Free Practice
- FP1: ANT (1:12.949), NOR, RUS, HAM, LEC
ANT spun in Turn 10, and then was impeded by HUL
HAM cut through the gravel trap in T12
VER locked up in Turn 12 (blaming downshifts), and later struggled again in the same corner; he also ran through the gravel in T13
LAW complained about traffic coming out of T12
ALO touched the T11 gravel trap
Sprint Qualifying
Sprint Qualifying session 1 (SQ1)
ANT slid sideways into the gravel trap at T13, but kept his foot in and recovered to the track
ALO locked up, ran through a gravel trap and onto the escape road before rejoining
LEC 1:13.013
HAM was impeded by VER
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are SAI, STR, BEA, BOT, ALO, PER
BEA P17
SAI P18
BOT P20
Back of the grid: BEA, SAI, STR, BOT, PER, ALO
Sprint Qualifying session 2 (SQ2)
PIA 1:12.026
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are COL, HUL, OCO, ALB, TSU, LIN
TSU P11
ALB P15
LIN P9, LAW P11
Middle of the grid: LAW, TSU, COL, HUL, OCO, ALB
Sprint Qualifying session 3 (SQ3)
NOR 1:11.608
ANT P2
RUS 1:11.567
Chequered flag; order is RUS, NOR, ANT, LIN, LEC, PIA, HAM, VER, GAS, BOR
LEC P3
PIA P4
BOR P6
HAM P6
LIN P8
VER P6
GAS P8
Front of the grid: RUS, NOR, LEC, PIA, ANT, VER, HAM, GAS, BOR, LIN
Provisional Sprint grid: RUS, NOR, LEC, PIA, ANT, VER, HAM, GAS, BOR, LIN, LAW, TSU, COL, HUL, OCO, ALB, BEA, SAI, STR, BOT, PER, ALO
Penalties
SAI was given a warning for driving unnecessarily slowly
A change to the Williams’ suspension during parc ferme means SAI will start the Sprint from the pit lane; same for ALO
Sprint Race
01/24: RUS leads into Turn 1
ANT takes P4 from PIA
05/24: RUS, NOR, LEC, ANT, PIA, VER, HAM, GAS, BOR, LIN
07: HUL pits; retires
17: LEC inside NOR to steal P2
24/24: ANT has a look at NOR but the McLaren keeps P3
It’s starting to rain
RUS takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: RUS, LEC, NOR, ANT, PIA, VER, HAM, GAS, BOR, LIN, LAW, COL, TSU, OCO, BEA, ALB, STR, ALO, BOT, SAI, PER; DNF: HUL
Penalties
SAI received a warning for overtaking BOT during the formation lap
BOT, HAM, VER, TSU and STR stopped their cars before Safety Car Line 1 when driving to the grid but were not penalised
Audi got a warning for an unsafe release of BOR before the start of the race
(None of the penalties affected the result)
Qualifying
Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
PIA 1:12.848
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are ALB, SAI, BOR, BEA, BOT, PER
ALB P15, STR P17
BOR P10, ALO P17
SAI P17
STR P19
Back of the grid: SAI, ALO, STR, BEA, BOT, PER
Qualifying session 2
PIA 1:11.641
NOR 1:11.628
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are GAS, TSU, HUL, COL, OCO, ALB
No-one improves
Middle of the grid: GAS, TSU, HUL, COL, OCO, ALB
Qualifying session 3
NOR 1:11.344
PIA P2
ANT P3
RUS P2
It’s raining
ANT 1:11.296
NOR 1:11.163
RUS P2
Chequered flag; order is NOR, RUS, ANT, PIA, HAM, LEC, VER, LAW, BOR, LIN
Provisional grid: NOR, RUS, ANT, PIA, HAM, LEC, VER, LAW, BOR, LIN, GAS, TSU, HUL, COL, OCO, ALB, SAI, ALO, STR, BEA, BOT, PER
Penalties
Alpine were summoned for an unsafe release of GAS but the decision was not to penalise them
(No changes to the provisional grid)
Race
Air temperature 18°C; track 31°C; humidity 62%
Grid: NOR, RUS, ANT, PIA, HAM, LEC, VER, LAW, BOR, LIN, GAS, TSU, HUL, COL, OCO, ALB, SAI, ALO, STR, BEA, BOT, PER*
*PER will start from the pit lane due to a suspension change
The first lap will be behind the Safety Car because there was a big downpour recently… although they’re all starting on dry tyres: NOR, RUS, ANT & PIA on mediums, then most of the field on softs, except GAS, COL, OCO (all on mediums) and the Cadillac duo of BOT and PER on hards
01/72: NOR leads into Turn 1
ANT takes P2 from teammate RUS
02: NOR, ANT, RUS, LEC, PIA, HAM, LAW…
VER has gone into the wall at the final turn; debris all across the track
Yellow flag quickly turns to a red; race suspended
Replay of the start shows RUS had a poor start
HAM moved a little left as LEC came through on his right, and VER touched the grass to avoid HAM
LAW saw a gap around VER and was alongside his temporary teammate
Replay of VER’s accident – GAS did well to avoid VER as the Red Bull slid across the track
BOR also had a spin but didn’t hit anything
Radio from ALB questioning if OCO overtook under yellow flags
HUL was lucky to avoid teammate BOR due to the smokescreen thrown up by the spinning Audi
In the pit lane, getting ready for the restart, Ferrari mechanics are patching up a hole in HAM’s left sidepod
LIN, OCO and COL have been noted for yellow flag infringements
Alpine are changing the nose
Restart order: NOR, ANT, RUS, LEC, PIA, HAM, LAW, LIN, GAS, COL
Restart will be at 33mins past the hour
Teams are allowed to change tyres during the red flag, so who will take advantage?
NOR leads everyone out of the pit lane, to form up on the grid for a standing start
NOR on softs; ANT and RUS on mediums; LEC on softs; PIA on hards; HAM and LAW on softs, LIN, GAS and COL on mediums
STR stopped at pit exit because he was shown a red light
BEA is off, stopped on the grass; “Everything broke, everything’s turned off”
Can they clear BEA’s car or will the start be aborted?
04/72: Extra formation lap announced – they’ll do another lap and form up on the grid again
05/72: So the grid is now NOR, ANT, RUS, LEC, PIA, HAM, LAW, GAS, COL, TSU, HUL, ALB, OCO, ALO, BOR, STR, SAI, BOT, PER, LIN; out: BEA, VER
ANT takes the lead into Turn 1
PIA steams past RUS to take P4
LEC has a look at RUS too
LIN has been given a drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement
06: ANT, NOR, PIA, RUS, LEC, HAM, LAW, GAS, HUL, COL
07: COL (P10) has been given a drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement
09: COL pits and serves his penalty; rejoins P20
BEA and BOR under investigation for leaving the pit lane against a red light
10/72: ANT, NOR, PIA, RUS, LEC, HAM, LAW, GAS, HUL, TSU
12: BOR pits from P13; medium tyres go on; rejoins P20
15/72: ANT, NOR, PIA, RUS, LEC, HAM, LAW, GAS, HUL, TSU, ALB, OCO, ALO, STR, SAI, LIN, BOT, PER, COL, BOR; out: BEA, VER
16: STR pits from P14; hards; P20
17: LEC closes right up to RUS’s rear wing
OCO pits from P12; hards; P19
18: RUS pits from P4; hards; P9
RUS looks inside HUL but the Audi driver defends P9
RUS finally takes P9
19: PIA pits from P3; slow stop; hards; P6… no, P7 – RUS passes PIA before the McLaren rejoins the track
GAS and TSU pit too
20/72: ANT, NOR, LEC, HAM, LAW, RUS, PIA, ALB, ALO, SIA
HUL pits; softs; P12
22: ANT and NOR both pit; both go onto hards; rejoin P2 and P3 respectively
HAM stays out, but LEC pits; mediums for the Ferrari; P6
LAW pits too; mediums; P9
23: LAW takes P8 from ALO
24: LAW inside ALB for P7
25/72: HAM, ANT, NOR, RUS, PIA, LEC, LAW, ALB, ALO, SAI, LIN, GAS, HUL, TSU, BOR, BOT, OCO, STR, PER, COL
Radio for HAM asking for a tyre update; “Tyres are OK”
26: HAM pits from P1; hards; P6
GAS looks at the outside of LIN but falls in line
27: GAS has another look but locks up and LIN and HUL pass the Alpine
ALB pits from P8; hards; P15
30/72: ANT, NOR, RUS, PIA, LEC, HAM, LAW, ALO, HUL, SAI, TSU, LIN, GAS, BOR, ALB, OCO, STR, PER, COL, BOT; out: BEA, VER
NOR keeping ANT’s lead to under 1sec
32: SAI pits from P10; hards; P17
35/72: ANT, NOR, RUS, LEC, PIA, HAM, LAW, ALO, HUL, TSU
HAM takes P5 from PIA
ALO pits from P8; hards; P13
39: PIA given the black and white flag for driving erratically
40/72: ANT, NOR, RUS, LEC, PIA, HAM, LAW, ALO, HUL, TSU
RUS closing on LEC
ANT held up as he looks to lap GAS (P10)
41: ANT pits from P1; hards; P4
RUS pits too; hards; P6
42: Radio from HAM, “I’m quicker than Charles”; will Ferrari swap them?
Radio for LEC telling him to box, but LEC disagrees
43: Radio from HAM, angry that they’re losing time
Radio for LEC telling him again to box
44: LEC pits from P2; hards; P6
45/72: NOR, HAM, ANT, PIA, RUS, LEC, LAW, HUL, TSU, GAS
PIA pits from P4; softs; P7
48: NOR pits; hards; P3
49: STR shown as retired – I didn’t see him pit
50/72: HAM, ANT, NOR, RUS, LEC, PIA, LAW, HUL, ALO, TSU
Radio for HAM asking him about tyre choices; he tells them they have the data so they should make the decision
52: NOR closing right up on ANT
Radio for ANT suggesting a wider line out of Turn 10, but ANT says he has no rear grip
53: HAM, ANT and NOR pass a back-marker
54: NOR makes a great move on ANT to take P2
Now NOR lines up the Ferrari and takes P1 from HAM
Yellow flag – OCO has stopped off-track at Turn 3
55/72: NOR, ANT, HAM, RUS, LEC, PIA, LAW, HUL, ALO, TSU
VSC deployed
Radio from HAM, clearly very frustrated at the Ferrari strategy; “Are you using me as a guinea pig?”
56[VSC]: HAM pits from P3; softs; P4
LEC pits too; softs; P5
PIA also pits; softs; P6
57[VSC]: ANT pits from P2; softs; P3
VSC ending
58: Radio from RUS sounding like he wants the team to tell ANT not to attack him; “Just think about working as a team here, if Kimi’s out of the fight.”
60/72: NOR, RUS, ANT, HAM, LEC, PIA, LAW, HUL, ALO, GAS, TSU, LIN, BOR, SAI, ALB, COL, PER, BOT; out: OCO, STR, BEA, VER
61: NOR, on 13 lap old hard tyres, is setting similar times to ANT on new softs
62: LAW noted for a yellow flag infringement
ANT is 1sec/lap faster than RUS, so will Mercedes swap them? They don’t like to do that, but ANT is their main driver for the Drivers’ Championship
65/72: NOR, RUS, ANT, HAM, LEC, PIA, LAW, HUL, ALO, GAS
BOT pits, retires
Radio for RUS telling him to “invert” (swap) the order, but RUS asks “is he fighting for the win?”
66: ANT easily past teammate RUS for P2, and ANT immediately pulls away
HAM closing on RUS
68: HAM right on RUS’s rear wing
SAI pits; softs; P17
COL given 10sec penalty
69: HAM looks inside RUS into Turn 1 but the Mercedes driver defends P3
70/72: NOR, ANT, RUS, HAM, LEC, PIA, LAW, HUL, ALO, GAS
VSC deployed
ALB pits; retires
LAW given 10sec penalty for a yellow flag infringement
Replay shows SAI locked up as ALB was passing into Turn 1; the contact caused the debris that led to the VSC
VSC ending
71: SAI given 10sec penalty for causing a collision
72/72: HAM has another look at RUS but backs out; LEC closing on HAM
LEC nearly hit teammate HAM
NOR takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: NOR, ANT, RUS, HAM, LEC, PIA, LAW*, HUL, ALO, GAS; TSU, LIN, BOR, COL*, PER, SAI*
DNF: ALB, BOT, OCO, STR, BEA, VER
Penalties
LIN and COL each received 2 penalty points in addition to the drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flags
COL and LAW were each given 1 penalty point in addition to a 10-second penalty for failing to slow for a yellow flag
SAI got a 10-sec penalty for causing the collision with ALB
BEA and BOR were each reprimanded for leaving the pit lane when the light was red
Final Classification: NOR, ANT, RUS, HAM, LEC, PIA, LAW, HUL, ALO, GAS; TSU, LIN, BOR, COL, PER, SAI, ALB
DNF: BOT, OCO, STR, BEA, VER
2 thoughts on “Netherlands Grand Prix”
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