In the Netherlands, Formula 1 resumes activities on a track very similar to the one that closed the first part of the season. Zandvoort and Budapest share many features, many of which are similar to Ferrari, which can aim for an important result. Hungary, however, showed that execution matters as much as potential and that the updated McLaren has what it takes to aim for victory. The Woking and Maranello teams will contain it against Mercedes, which at the Hungaroring was only the protagonist of a misstep.
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The chance for redemption
An uninterrupted sequence of curves and hairpins, with grass immediately beyond the white line and little time to catch your breath. Even today Zandvoort is one of the most appreciated tracks by drivers for the driving challenges it offers, even more so with the current generation of cars. Its tortuous layout means that energy management is not particularly complex or invasive, also limiting the importance of engine power. Ferrari smiles, which for the second consecutive race finds a track that will contain its delay from the Mercedes power units, while at the same time enhancing its chassis qualities. In the Netherlands, in fact, there are many medium-speed and long-radius corners, precisely those where downforce and stability are needed, qualities with which the SF-26 has shown it can make a difference.
The profile of Zandvoort shares several elements with the Hungaroring, where in fact Ferrari had started the weekend in the best way, only to then get lost among execution errors and the lack of setup progression. In the Netherlands, however, the preparation on the eve will count even more, given the return of the Sprint format, with only one practice session before things get serious. The goal for the Maranello Scuderia will be to be ready again with a good setup base, trying this time to turn it into a result. Mercedes, on the other hand, is called to redeem itself after the misstep in Budapest. Hungary’s dull weekend is not due to a poor affinity between the track and the W17, which instead had the potential to perform well, but to a setup that was never found.
Watch out for McLaren
For months now, on the eve of a Grand Prix, a fight at the top between Mercedes and Ferrari has been expected, while the high expectations towards McLaren represent a novelty. The MCL40, finally equipped with other updates, including the new floor, has proven to be a solid car. The papaya car stands out especially in high-speed corners, less so in medium-radius ones, although much of this depends on environmental conditions. In Budapest, for example, McLaren benefited from the wind shift between Friday and Saturday, which increased rear stability, while in other circumstances the same car suffered from crosswinds, also due to the repercussions on energy management strategies. This will be an important variable in the Netherlands, with the dunes channeling the wind coming from the North Sea in different directions, which can exceed 50 km/h.
Zandvoort is a unique geographical and environmental mix, such that conditions are often low grip, due to sand dragged onto the racing line and slippery asphalt. Getting the tires up to temperature, however, should not be a problem. The high density of corners, all close to each other, and the presence of two elevated bends, with banking even higher than that of Indianapolis, are factors that contribute to generating energy in the tires. Pirelli, moreover, offers the C2, C3, and C4 compounds, softer than those featured in Hungary, but the number of stops in the race remains to be deciphered. Much will depend on overtaking opportunities, to be understood as soon as possible, so as to decide how much to focus on qualifying preparation and how much instead on long-distance pace.
Updates are coming
Hungary taught that reasoning on the potential of each car is not enough to lay down the pre-race prediction. Execution has equal importance and will count more and more as team performances converge with development. In this regard, in the Netherlands there will be other novelties for several teams, including Ferrari and McLaren, which has decided to spread the second seasonal package over several races. Mercedes is also preparing to make some changes, which however do not coincide with the next big evolutionary step planned in Brackley.
Again this time, however, the attention could be stolen by Aston Martin, which will finally receive the first update to the Honda power unit. Barring miracles, the Silverstone team will not reach the front runners, but could at least return to fighting for points. Up front, instead, Andrea Kimi Antonelli aims to stay there, who will only need to repeat what he already did in the first part of the year to complete the work started. All this barring reliability issues, which could be the real deciding factor in the second half of the season.
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