The Dutch driver triumphs in front of the home circuit in front of the Mercedes and returns to the command of the general cassifica.
Max Verstappen sends Zandvoort’s orange crowds into a frenzy with the victory in a Dutch Grand Prix led to the lead from the traffic light to the checkered flag. Nothing to do for Lewis Hamilton who chased his rival’s Red Bull for all seventy-two laps of the GP but has to settle for second place ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas. Ferrari fifth and seventh at the finish with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Verstappen returns to command of the general with three points clear of Hamilton.
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As in qualifying, Hamilton tested them all to spoil the party for Max Verstappen and to the tens of thousands of his compatriots who for three days transformed the dunes around the asphalt strip of Zandvoort into an “orange” bedlam. All in vain, the success in the Dutch GP which returned to the calendar after thirty-six years he did not escape the predestined Max who also took back the leadership in the general classification. A very different victory … depth compared to the one in last Sunday’s GP-farce at Spa-Francorchamps. On the podium with the winner, Hamilton himself and his teammate Bottas but the control room of Stuttgart almost made a short circuit in the final, mounting a set of fresh tires and then asking him to abort the fast lap, so as not to steal it (complete with a bonus point) from the Black King. Too late, Bottas took it, then forcing Lewis himself to overtime to repossess new … and to limit the delay of the new-old leader to three points Verstappen: 224.5 points a 221.5.
Down from the podium, a lot of hair for Pierre Gasly that starts from the fourth box of the grid and brings home the same placement in the general classification of the thirteenth world round, perhaps already feeling … the air of Monza, where a year ago the Frenchman … from Milan obtained his first and up so far the only victory in the World Cup. Pierre’s compatriot Leclerc tried to worry Pierre in the central phase of the GP the Ferrari seen in the race at Zandvoort appeared rather blunt. Fifth final place for the Monegasque, chased for a long time by Sainz’s other SF21. In the final, however, the Madrid player was reached and slipped by his compatriot Fernando Alonso who then took sixth place at the end of a GP that began with a first lap of rare “competitive malice”. In the World Championship, Leclerc again puts the arrow on Sainz (92 points against 89.5.) At the end of a Sunday conducted in defense due to high tire wear and with not particularly bright prospects for Monza and its dizzying hourly averages .
Alpine F1 Team instead completes its balance of the day with the ninth place of Esteban Ocon, the latest victim (in chronological order) of the comeback by Sergio Perez who, starting from the pits after replacing the power unit, has partially redeemed two days of tests in the shadows with a good comeback. Closes the top ten Lando Norris who has the better of teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Downside for McLaren who sees his lead in the Constructors’ World Championship dwindling over Ferrari (now 169 to 166.5 points) and this in a Sunday of semi-anonymity for the Reds. But now Monza arrives, where the power of the Mercedes PU that pushes the MCL35 (M, in fact) of Norris and Ricciardo should revive the candidacy of the papaya team for third place in the world championship.
A not particularly brilliant start and a puncture prevent Antonio Giovinazzi from giving a worthy follow-up in gara in the seventh time set in qualifying. The Italian closes the GP in fourteenth position, ahead of Robert Kubica’s twin Alfa Sauber C41: GP number 98 for the Pole who replaced Kimi Raikkonen at Zandvoort.
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