Did you miss it? Because we’re sure you did: Formula 1 is back after drivers like ‘Checo’ Pérez took a break from the first part of the season, and now they’re coming back recharged for the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix.
Activities began on Friday at the Zandvoort circuit, which also marks the green flag for the second half of the 2024 F1 season, where each of the 20 drivers on the grid will be looking for a better result than in past races.
‘Checo’ Pérez returns to track action in seventh place in the Drivers’ World Championship, which Max Verstappen has led since the first race and has not let go, despite some who have come ‘dangerously’ close to him. How will the Mexican fare this time?
Free practice 3 at the Zandvoort circuit, did it really exist?
Pierre Gasly was the fastest in the final free practice session of the Dutch GP, which was marked by Logan Sargeant’s accident, who set his car on fire when he crashed into the wall and left the vehicle destroyed, although he was able to get out on his own two feet.
In a session that was practically useless due to the initial rain, and because after the accident the drivers only had two minutes to run, ‘Checo’ Pérez did not even set a time.
This last free practice session lasted just seventeen minutes, fifteen at the beginning on a very wet asphalt, and two at the end, in which almost all the drivers went out on track, but with hardly any time to run. In the end, these were the numbers:
Free practice 2 of the Dutch GP: ‘Checo’ remained the same as in the previous one
At 8:00 a.m. (Central Mexico time) the second free practice session began, where the F1 drivers had one hour to set the best time possible, although this task was complicated for ‘Checo’ Pérez.
With a best time of 1:11.581, the Mexican driver placed himself in twelfth position, almost a second behind George Russell, who led FP2 with a time of 1:10.72.
The second free practice session was red flagged, courtesy of Nico Hülkenberg, who, with 42 minutes remaining, went off turn one and hit the wall, meaning he was unable to get back on track. Minutes later, practice resumed.
Qualifying for the second practice session for the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix ended with the following times:
Dutch GP Free Practice 1: ‘Checo’ left out of the top 10
The engines started in the early hours of this Friday, on this side of the world, inaugurating the second part of the 2024 Formula 1 season, although the Mexican driver ‘Checo’ Pérez did not do as well as he would have liked.
There were complications for the drivers during the first half hour of FP1, where wind and rain made it unnecessary to go out on track, as only extreme rain tyres were allowed and trips onto the gravel were inevitable.
‘Checo’ Pérez’s best time in the first free practice session, where he finished 12th, was 1:14.279, almost two seconds behind the leader in this first session, Lando Norris, who made a time of 1:12.322.
And the host? Perez’s Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen clocked a time of 1:12.523, finishing in second place. Here’s how all the times ended in this first practice session at Zandvoort:
F1 practice dates and times: When is the Dutch GP in 2024 at Zandvoort?
As we well know, there are three free practice sessions held at each Grand Prix (except for the weekends where there is a F1 sprint race, although now is not the time).
The first two practices were held on Friday, while on Saturday there will be one more prior to qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, in which the places on the starting grid will be decided.
Meanwhile, the drivers will continue testing the track to set their best strategy. We share with you the schedule in Central Mexico time. Spoiler: you will have to get up early in case you don’t want to miss it live.
- Practice 1: Friday, August 23, 4:30 a.m.
- Practice 2: Friday, August 23, 8:00 a.m.
- Practice 3: Saturday, August 24, 3:30 p.m.
Dutch Grand Prix broadcast: Where to watch Formula 1 live from Mexico?
It’s not just FP that we’ll have this Formula 1 weekend: The Dutch Grand Prix activities can be followed on cable television or streaming on different TV and streaming channels, although the bad news is that they are all pay-TV channels.
How to watch F1 in Mexico? Here are the channels to tune in to with all the exclusive content:
- Fox Sports
- Fox Sports 3
- Fox Sports Premium
- F1 TV
In addition, you can follow the minute-by-minute coverage completely free and live from our website The Financial Sports
Formula 1: How did ‘Checo’ Pérez fare at the Grand Prix in the Netherlands?
Unlike the rest of the races where the Mexican has more experience, ‘Checo’ Pérez has only visited the Zandvoort circuit four times with the current Dutch GP.
Unfortunately for him, he has never managed to get on the podium in the country where Max Verstappen, his Red Bull teammate, is the host. These are the Mexican’s results:
- 2021 (Red Bull): eighth place.
- 2022 (Red Bull): fifth place.
- 2023 (Red Bull): fourth place.
