‘The Last Dance’ in the Netherlands to return to the points zone
Here we are again! After a summer break lasting just under a month, Formula 1 will return to the track this weekend for the Dutch Grand Prix, the twelfth round of the championship. The Zandvoort circuit will kick off the second half of the season, but at the same time will be the venue for the Circus’s last race in the Netherlands. A weekend in which Audi will do its best not only to repeat the last performance in Hungary but also to get closer to Haas in the Constructors’ standings.
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At Zandvoort for the ‘repeat’
Thanks to Nico Hülkenberg‘s points finish at the Hungaroring, the Four Rings team is now 9 points behind the American rivals, in 7th place. The German driver himself, who had achieved his only top 10 of this season in Hungary, will try to repeat it in the Netherlands: “Scoring points in Budapest was a great way to start the summer break. In recent weeks everyone has had a chance to recharge their batteries and now the focus is completely on the second half of the season. Zandvoort has always been a special race for me. I grew up just across the border and started my motorsport career in the Netherlands, so I have always had a special connection with this country and its people. It is a classic, old-style circuit, and the Dutch fans always create an incredible atmosphere. Knowing that this will be the last Dutch Grand Prix for a while makes it even more special. I hope we can pick up where we left off in Budapest and have another positive weekend.”
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Bortoleto’s charge
Most of the points obtained by the team, however, come from the finishes of Gabriel Bortoleto, who achieved the best provisional personal and team result (8th in England and Belgium), as well as several times close to the points zone with 11th place: “It was nice to have a couple of weeks off to rest and recharge, but now I can’t wait to get back – commented the Brazilian – we have learned more and more about the car race after race, unlocking its potential, and it is important that we bring this into the second part of the season. Zandvoort is always a nice challenge, and Sprint weekends always make things a bit more intense from the start, but that’s how we like it. The first half of the season ended on an encouraging note, and now the goal is to pick up where we left off“.
