2024 Dutch Grand Prix - Zandvoort, Aug 23 - 25

[Hammerfist]

It’s not that long of a run to turn one. No excuses for not keeping the lead at the start tomorrow. Lando should win easily.

[atanatizante]

Seems to me that both Macca drivers and VER were setting up their cars with more downforce betting on a wet/mixt condition race ... On the other side RUS, HAM, PER, ALO, STR, and LEC did the opposite it seems ...

[214270]

Still v confused by the Rb pace, it’s just vanished; PER in the right spot this time though

[Juzh]

https://postimg.cc/G8w95qM3 https://postimages.org/


Seems to me that both Macca drivers and VER were setting up their cars with more downforce betting on a wet/mixt condition race ... On the other side RUS, HAM, PER, ALO, STR, and LEC did the opposite it seems ...

I noticed already during the broadcast that Perez is significantly faster than Max on straights. Must be different setups.

[Waz]

Genuinely not a fan of tracks with so much evolution.

It's by the beach, it's sandy.

Zandvoort is a fantastic track! A real rollercoaster!

Rwanda and Thailand are being considered as future locations to host a Formula 1 grand prix as Zandvoort could potentially begin alternating as hosts yearly with another location

Zandvoort is worth 100 dull, flat, wide Paul Ricard or Buriram circuits IMO.

The track is great, but when you are watching Quali, and the bottom 5 drivers go for another run at the end of a session and all end up trading fastest lap simply because of track evolution feels a little hollow.

As for Rwanda, F1 does love a genocidal disaster zone, doesn't it? Less said the better.

[PlatinumZealot]

I think Lando is just qualifying superbly. He is one with his car while the RB20 is drifitng away from Max's prefered style.

It's now up to Mad to help the team compromise on his prefered balance versus mkaing the car quicker. We usually say that they make the fastest car and Max will drive it, but with these cars sometimes "slower is faster". It's up to Max now to do some experimentation and find that sweet spot.

[AR3-GP]

I think the Mclarens, Verstappen, and the Mercedes have a new set of softs for the race. Hamilton might even have 2 new sets (due to missing Q3)

[Dunlay]

Genuinely not a fan of tracks with so much evolution.

It's by the beach, it's sandy.

Zandvoort is a fantastic track! A real rollercoaster!

Rwanda and Thailand are being considered as future locations to host a Formula 1 grand prix as Zandvoort could potentially begin alternating as hosts yearly with another location

Zandvoort is worth 100 dull, flat, wide Paul Ricard or Buriram circuits IMO.

The track is great, but when you are watching Quali, and the bottom 5 drivers go for another run at the end of a session and all end up trading fastest lap simply because of track evolution feels a little hollow.

As for Rwanda, F1 does love a genocidal disaster zone, doesn't it? Less said the better.

It's natural for any circuit that has had heavy rain in the morning for two consecutive days, washing all the rubber. As the track dries and rubber starts getting in, it becomes faster. If there was no rain today and yesterday, you won't see that kind of behavior.

If F1 can run in US, why not in Rwanda? Not that I am in favor of either.

[venkyhere]

Hard to see anything but a McLaren pole. Far more balanced than the Red Bull

Absolutely. MCL38 is on rails even with wind, RB20 is understeering like a pig, waiting to snap at any moment. Redbull have lost the car, McLaren have nailed their car. It's a no brainer that Mclaren will win constructors, and winning drivers is a big possibility.

Real strange shift in relative performance in S1 and S2 from Q1 to Q3. in Q1 and Q2 RB seemed faster in S1 and slower in S2, but in Q3 it went the other way around. In any case it seemed troughout it was mclaren's to lose, and they delivered.

The english commentators are saying 'but the McLaren is gaining so much in the straights' as if the MCL38 is running a smaller wing than RB20 and hence has lower drag. No. Both are running very similar DF levels and both are having similar drag (btw, Russel and Perez seem to have gone for lower DF than their team mates, sure to suffer with deg in the race). It's because MCL38 is rotating much much better than the RB20 and it's best shown in the two 'tight' turns T1, T3 and T12. In these three corners. the exit MCL38 has, is 'a class above' RB20, which in turn affects the time gained in the three 'straights' 1-2-3 and 4-5-6-7 and 13-14-1. Verstappen was driving like a god through 7-8-9-10-11 and pulled back some time, but lost more than what he pulled back, at the exit of T12. Since lower fuel load in Q trim means faster acceleration, the McLaren reaches Vmax earlier than the RB20 and further enhances the gain a little bit. This 'gain' wont be similar in race trim when fuel load is much higher and acceleration much slower. So expecting the McLaren laptime advantage to be something like 0.2s (rather than the 0.35s in Q) in race trim, before the deg kicks in.

Anyway, the point was, the "Mclaren gaining in straights" isn't really true. The gain is coming from the exit of corners before the straights. Which in turn means Mclarens are going to carve like knife through butter, with their DRS when they come out of the pits after a tyre change tomorrow. Morover, even if Max gains a place at the start, this exact advantage will ensure he is eaten in the pit straight by lap3 or lap4.

Anything other than P1-P2 for Mclaren will be a disaster. The car is that good. It's a class above. Just like the RB19 in 2023.

[organic]

Erik van Haren says that Vowles is apparently looking for an immediate Sargeant replacement after his latest crash. Mick Schumacher and now potentially Lawson in the frame. Still just a possibility, but Vowles spoke with Red Bull about Lawson after qualifying

[Luscion]

Albon's car has failed legality checks with the floor, referred to the stewards

[GrizzleBoy]

No way.

So last and second to last for Williams in Quali then.

They'll be praying for rain. Sporadic rain.

Also outlines the importance of two good drivers when the margins are so wafer thin. If one is held back for any reason, you need the other one to at least have the capability to reliably be in the mix

[organic]

Related to the new upgrade they brought perhaps?

[Mogster]

Erik van Haren says that Vowles is apparently looking for an immediate Sargeant replacement after his latest crash. Mick Schumacher and now potentially Lawson in the frame. Still just a possibility, but Vowles spoke with Red Bull about Lawson after qualifying

I understand Lawson being mentioned in this context, but Mick… Really

I think there’s some wishful thinking going on.

[Luscion]

3 place grid drop for Lewis