Talking points ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix
Thursday, 24 August 2023
Learned the English words in the 'Super Max!' song yet? (Hint: it won't take long). It's time for F1's annual visit to Zandvoort, where a home hero targets history, a feel-good story seems shaky and the sport's 'most dominant' driver looks to keep his run rolling.
Enjoy a little respite from the relentless pace of the F1® season these past few weeks? We hope so, as this weekend's resumption of track activity at the Formula 1® Dutch Grand Prix (August 25-27) marks the start of the final 10 Grands Prix of the season – plus Sprints in Qatar, Austin and Brazil – taking place in just 14 weeks to close the circle on the 22-round season.
The Dutch faithful who pack into the seaside circuit at Zandvoort will come with orange t-shirts, flares, a taste for techno and expecting a Max Verstappen win – and with good reason and ample motivation, which we'll get to.
For fans on Australian shores, Oscar Piastri's recent progress at McLaren, who have made giant strides in recent weekends, has us cheering for orange, too. For Daniel Ricciardo, Zandvoort comes after a mid-season break where he took minimal time off, training hard to be in the best position to make the most of his mid-season call-up after the sport's 'other' Dutchman, Nyck De Vries, didn't make it as far as his home Grand Prix for Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Here's what we're keeping an eye on from Zandvoort this weekend.
Max looks to share with Seb
Verstappen comes into his home Grand Prix on an eight-race winning streak, with any result that doesn't have him equalling Sebastian Vettel's all-time record of nine straight wins to be the shock of the year if this season and his home record are any guide.
Since Zandvoort came back onto the calendar in 2021 after a 34-year break, the Dutch Grand Prix has been a Verstappen benefit – he won by 20 seconds two years ago and just four seconds last year, although the 2022 race turned into a 12-lap dash to the flag after a late safety car.
The reigning world champion has led all but 22 of the 144 laps at Zandvoort the past two years, and with Vettel's all-time mark at his mercy, you'd get long odds on anyone else annexing the winners' silverware on Sunday. The 25-year-old has always referred to the atmosphere that surrounds him racing at home as a privilege more than pressure, and sharing a slice of F1® history with the Red Bull Racing driver who set the standard before him would make a third home win even sweeter.
Aston, Alonso hearing footstep
Fernando Alonso's return as a frontline force with Aston Martin's ascent has been the dual storyline few saw coming in 2023; for context, Aston scored 196 points in the first 12 races this season compared to just 19 at the same stage a year ago. But recent results suggest the dam wall is set to burst, and Zandvoort might be where even Alonso's resistance isn't enough.
Ever since he finished third in Bahrain season-opener, the 42-year-old has been best of the rest behind Red Bull pair Verstappen and Sergio Perez, but Alonso's advantage over Lewis Hamilton was hacked to just one point after Belgium, the third race in a row where the Mercedes man has outscored the Spaniard. After he managed a remarkable six podiums in the first eight races, Alonso hasn't visited the rostrum since, while Aston's gap over Ferrari for third in the constructors' championship has been sliced to just five points.
It's been a fairytale run for a driver and team which has been the source of surprise and intrigue in a season crying out for drama near the front of the field. But with Mercedes kicking clear, Ferrari showing speed and McLaren scoring more points than anyone besides Red Bull in the past three races, Alonso – and Aston – have to stop the bleeding, and now.
The most dominant driver in F1®
No, that's not Verstappen, despite that whopping 125-point championship lead he carries into Zandvoort his weekend. If the first driver you have to beat is your teammate, then it's Alex Albon of Williams who can lay the most legitimate claim to that 'most dominant' moniker, as the Thai driver has been an under-the-radar star of 2023.
Albon has all 11 of Williams' points this year to have the British squad sitting seventh in the constructors' standings, which would be the team's best result for six years if it holds. Along the way, Albon has bolstered a reputation that looked broken after being released by Red Bull in 2020, scoring points three times, making Q3 on four occasions and demolishing rookie teammate Logan Sargeant 12-0 in qualifying and 9-0 in races where both drivers finish.
Sitting 13th in the drivers' standings isn't going to get you a lot of headlines, but in terms of doing the best with the tools at your disposal, it's hard to argue that anyone – OK, maybe Verstappen – has done a more impressive job than Albon this year.
The Formula 1® Dutch Grand Prix 2023 will be available to watch live on Foxtel and Kayo. See our What time does the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix start in Australia article for timings.
