Can anyone break Verstappen's dominance this weekend?
ANP via Getty Images
The F1 circus has had four weeks to recuperate after the summer break, but now gets ready to go full throttle for the last ten races of the season.
The venue for world championship’s return is Zandvoort, the seaside amphitheatre which plays host to the Dutch Grand Prix – reigning champion Max Verstappen’s home race.
It was indeed the double world champion’s rise to prominence which brought back the event after a long absence, and the circuit will once more be packed with fervent fans decked out in orange, passionately supporting their man.
Though this has been a season of total domination from Verstappen and his Red Bull team, the story behind has been a fierce battle – Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren have all been best-of-the-rest on various occasions, with the latter appearing to have the edge over the last couple of races.
However, mid-to-low speed Zandvoort isn’t likely to favour McLaren – who can get close to Red Bull this weekend?
Here’s how to watch the Dutch GP.
After sprints were sprinkled over the last few rounds, Zandvoort will be a more usual race weekend format, with two sessions of practice on Friday, another on Saturday followed by qualifying and the race on Sunday.
At the 1976 Dutch GP James Hunt battled against some of F1’s fiercest ’70s heroes and a crumbling McLaren M23 to win at Zandvoort – its greatest race, says Matt Bishop
Live TV: Each sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 starting with Free Practice 1 on Friday at 11.00am.
Live stream: For viewers in the UK, Sky Sports F1 subscribers can watch all the action live on the Sky Go app. Now TV subscribers can also access live coverage of every session via Sky Sports F1 with live timings are available through the F1 app.
Highlights: Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of the weekend, with action from qualifying on Saturday evening. Highlights of the Dutch GP will then be shown on Sunday evening.
All times in BST
| Qualifying Saturday 26 August |
Dutch Grand Prix Sunday 27 August |
|
| Session start time | 2pm | 2pm |
| Live coverage Sky Sports, Sky Go, NowTV |
1.15pm | 12.30pm |
| Highlights Channel 4 |
6.45pm | 6.30pm |
Opened the same year as Silverstone in 1948, the Zandvoort circuit was a mainstay of the world championship in its early years.
The tight yet flowing layout, threading its way through the North Sea sand dunes, gave the circuit a unique character.
The first world championship Dutch GP was held in 1952 and was won by Alberto Ascari.
From the late ’50s onwards, the event stayed on the calendar till 1985 when newer GPs squeezed it out of the reckoning.
Verstappen has been dominant since Dutch GP return
Red Bull
Come 2021 though, and the immense popularity of home hero Max Verstappen made it a no-brainer to bring the event back, which has been a roaring success since its return.
Due to its confined nature, Zandvoort only has two DRS zones with passing chances at a premium over the race’s 72 laps.
However, added to the circuit on its refurbishment were two banked corners, with designer Jarno Zafelli telling Motor Sport that the track was about “big b******s, not DRS passes.”
With rain, thunder and lightning forecast for Saturday and Sunday, we could yet see a mixed up grid and some broken Dutch hearts if someone takes advantage to dethrone Verstappen this weekend.
All times in BST
| Friday August 25 | Saturday August 26 | Sunday August 27 | |
| F1 | Free Practice 1 – 11.30am Free Practice 2 – 3pm |
Free Practice 3 – 10.30am Qualifying – 2pm |
Hungarian Grand Prix – 2pm |
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