Image: Formula 1
Image: Formula 1
Max Verstappen will grace his home crowd for the second time in his Formula 1 career but this time out, the crowd of Zandvoort will witness their countryman enter the weekend with a massive lead of almost 100 points in his Championship defence. Here is what to expect at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix.
Image: Formula 1
Important times to look out for:
Practice 1 (2 September) – 12:30 – 13:30
Practice 2 (2 September) – 16:00 – 17:00
Practice 3 (3 September) – 12:00 – 13:00
Qualifying (3 September) – 14:00 – 15:00
Race (4 September) – 15:00 – 17:00
Red Bull Racing have jumped back into the second half of the season with all pistons firing and a performance deficit now equally as indicative as the points tally being extended further out of reach each weekend. With the first of the triple headers in Belgium out of the way, the F1-75 seems to be outpaced by the RB18 while Mercedes 2022 challenger was a massive 1,8 seconds off of Verstappen’s pole time, which he converted into a win despite starting at the back of the grid as a result of powertrain penalties.
There shouldn’t be too much difference in the Dutch dunes of Zandvoort, with the reigning World Champion in the comfort of his adoring home fans expected to continue his indomitable form. The circuit may not have changed significantly from when the sport took to the undulating tarmac last year but the Dutch GP organisers have stated that the addition of a new DRS zone will make the iconic banking of the circuit a “white knuckle” ride for the drivers. This has been implemented by the FIA to aid in overtaking with the use of DRS through the last corner and extend the zone by 300 metres on the sprint into the opening Tarzan bend.
Image: Formula 1
Get reacquainted with the Zandvoort circuit in Verstappen’s 2021 pole position lap here.
Further down the grid, the fickle Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso feud continues after the pair tangled in Belgium and forced Hamilton to retire. In a press conference, the former Briton World Champion maintained that Ricciardo “deserves a place in the sport” amidst the uncertainty of his future after a mutual split with McLaren at the end of the season.
As the second half of the season envelops, so does the driver market with new names on the lips of the paddock. This is the case with Oscar Piastri, who is rumoured to join McLaren in place of the Australian Grand Prix winner.
Further afield, Audi has committed to join the sport when the new engine Formula gets underway in 2026. Buying a large stake in the Sauber Group, currently competing as Alfa Romeo, it is almost certain that the Italian automaker will be replaced by the Ingolstadt based brand, who will also be manufacturing their own engines.
With rumours emanating that the hopes of a Kyalami Grand Prix for 2023 has been quashed after the Belgian Grand Prix has been confirmed, Kyalami representatives have reiterated that there has been no official correspondence and that the 2023 Formula 1 calendar is yet to be released.