Max Verstappen's Orange Army and Lando Norris' redemption - What to expect from the Dutch GP

Dutch Grand Prix

Verstappen's Orange Army and Norris' redemption - What to expect from the Dutch GP

F1 returns to Zandvoort for the first time in 36 years

Ewan Gale

Thursday 2 September 2021 11:40

For the first time since 1985, it is race week in The Netherlands as Zandvoort returns to the F1 calendar.

Optimism for the Dutch Grand Prix could not be higher given the events at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, with fans looking forward to the first racing action since the summer break.

With Max Verstappen cutting Lewis' Hamilton's championship lead to just three points ahead of his home race, what can we expect from a weekend at the beach?

Verstappen to ride wave of home energy

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Much is made of Hamilton's home support at Silverstone in the midst of title battles and how that energy spurs him on.

Imagine the wave of support from the Dutch fans who will help Verstappen this weekend. The Orange Army is always on song when it travels to tracks like the Red Bull Ring and Spa, so no doubt there will be a festival atmosphere at Zandvoort this week.

The Red Bull looked speedy throughout the weekend in Belgium, and whilst it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate Verstappen and Hamilton, one expects the Dutchman to prevail on home Tarmac.

If he does so, Verstappen will be the first Dutch winner of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Norris to bounce back from Spa disappointment

Oh, what could have been in Belgium for Lando Norris. His form during qualifying was scintillating as he took the fastest time in Q1 and Q2.

But his hefty crash at Eau Rouge and Raidillon brought his session to an abrupt end and ensured he wouldn't claim a maiden pole position.

Importantly, Norris was uninjured but with the race at Spa washed out, the crash turned out to be even more costly than it should have been.

The confidence the British driver has shown all season should see him bounce back instantly and there is no reason why the McLaren cannot challenge for a podium like it has done most of the season.

Qualifying to be key

Zandvoort looks set to provide one of the more exhilarating laps of the season with elevation changes, high-speed sweeps and banked corners all culminating in a near-70 second lap.

The circuit itself is narrow and sweeping and therefore a high premium will be placed on qualifying performance.

Qualifying should be an exciting prospect with the short lap allowing for more timed attempts and therefore more drama.

With the beach nearby and the chance of sand sweeping onto the circuit, it could be a classic case of last over the line goes fastest.

Pirelli to conquer banking

F1 and tyre manufacturers have a difficult relationship with banking, with the United States Grand Prix of 2005 damaging the sport's image in the US when Michelin teams exited the race ahead of the start, leaving six cars on the grid.

How will Pirelli cope with banking at Zandvoort that is twice as steep as that of the final corner of the Indianapolis Grand Prix circuit?

Well, the Italian manufacturer was planning on taking a special compound to the race last year before it was cancelled but this year, it will simply take the hardest compounds available.

It will be interesting to see how this develops across the weekend but with track temperatures significantly lower than other races this year, there should be no issue.

Don't worry about umbrellas!

There is no doubt that the rain last weekend led to one of F1's darker days as the Belgian Grand Prix was washed out.

The sport, fans, teams and drivers will be thrilled to see a dry weather forecast ahead of the weekend.

It would be the first time since Silverstone in July that we will have a race run without wet weather, meaning the grid should fall back into a more sensible order, rather than having an Alpine winning or a Williams second.

Or maybe teams will have a surprise up their sleeves. It is a new circuit after all.