FORMULA 1
Formula One Returns after the Summer Break! Official F1 Journal Dutch Grand Prix weekend preview22/8/2024  Max Verstappen arriving at Zandvoort on Thursday, ahead of media day. Credit: GSI via Getty Images. For the first time in three weeks, Formula One returns to action after the summer break for the Dutch Grand Prix – this coming weekend. With 10 rounds remaining, and seven different race winners in the first 14 rounds of the championship, there is a lot of excitement a Formula 1‘s return in 2024. This will be the first of the final three European rounds of the season, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku to commence in the next few weeks. After a frantic first 14 rounds, Max Verstappen, of Red Bull, has a decent lead at the top of the driver’s standings. 78 points is the lead for Verstappen over Lando Norris of McLaren. Charles Leclerc sits third in the standings, 100 points of Verstappen. This weekend’s round, the Dutch Grand Prix, will be Max Verstappen’s home event - at the legendary Zandvoort circuit. A look at the track and its previous races: Zandvoort, Netherlands Aerial view of the Zandvoort circuit on Wednesday ahead of the weekend's Dutch Grand Prix. Credit: REMKO DE WAAL via Getty Images After three weeks since the last race took place at the iconic Spa Francorchamps circuit, for round 14 at the Belgian Grand Prix, the World Championship heads to another iconic European venue in Zandvoort, for round 15. Zandvoort is a circuit that is used by a lot of European junior categories, such as British F4, GB3 and the Formula Regional European Championship. It also plays host to a round in the DTM Championship and Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. The Dutch venue has also played host to many Formula 1 Grand Prix that has seen many great races and many legendary drivers take to the top step of the podium. Jim Clark has the most wins at the Zandvoort Circuit in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship with four to his name. Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda have picked up three. Formula 1 returned to Zandvoort in 2021 after the last race before then came in 1985. Since 2021, each of the races has been won by Max Verstappen, putting him on three in total. This brings Verstappen to being one win shy of equalling Jim Clark’s record that has been held since 1967. Verstappen is also the only driver, since F1 has returned to Zandvoort, to stand on the podium for all 3 Grand Prix. 7 different drivers have been on the podium here since 2021. The circuit first held an F1 Grand Prix in 1952 and has a lap distance of 4.259km, with banked corners and much elevation change. 14 corners in total make up the circuit’s layout with two DRS Zones featuring - down the start/finish straight into turn 1, with the other DRS zone being into turn 10. 72 laps of racing are to come on Sunday with the race distance being 306.587km. Despite Verstappen having three wins around here, it was his 2021 championship rival Lewis Hamilton, who holds the lap record around the circuit with a 1:11.097. Hamilton set the lap in 2021, the year where he has finished on the podium at Zandvoort. The most recent race at Zandvoort took place in 2023, in what was a manic race on a weekend full of drama, after the summer break. In Friday's free practice 2 session, drama would begin when Daniel Ricciardo would crash at turn 3 breaking his hand and ruling him out of action for the weekend and many weekends to come. He would be replaced for the remainder of the weekend by New Zealand driver Liam Lawson, who would come in to make his Formula 1 debut for AlphaTauri. On Saturday, attention would turn to qualifying and Verstappen's dominance around the circuit would continue, with pole position from the home hero. Verstappen would take pole by over half a second to McLaren's Lando Norris, who was second. George Russell was third for Mercedes. When attention turned to the Grand Prix, there was a lot of drama as mixed conditions took a grip hold of the race with different drivers finding grip at different points of the race. This created excitement. By the end of the 72 laps, it was no great surprise as Verstappen took victory once again in 2023 for Red Bull. He was joined on the podium by Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who finished second. In a great drive, Pierre Gasly would finish third for Alpine. Robert Shwartzman to participate in FP1 for Kick Sauber Former Formula 2 runner up and World Endurance Championship competitor Robert Shwartzman is to compete for Kick Sauber, at free practice 1 of the Dutch Grand Prix. Shwartzman has participated in three free practice sessions, previously in his career, meaning this will be his fourth. After the first three practice sessions took place with Ferrari, this will be his first practice session test with the Sauber team of his career. He had two of his three previous tests with Ferrari in 2022, with one in 2023. Shwartzman will partner his fellow 2021 Formula 2 graduate Zhou Gunayu at Zandvoort, in free practice 1, as he replaces Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas. Last time out: Round 14 - Belgian Grand PrixThe most recent round in the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship took place at the end of the month of July, in Belgium, for the Belgian Grand Prix - Round 14. This would be the final five rounds across six weeks, in a congested part of the 2024 season, where a lot of drama had occurred and there would be great excitement, heading into the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. In qualifying, it was a track that was constantly improving, after wet weather had disrupted the FP3 session and the Formula 2 sprint race prior to the qualifying session. News coming into the qualifying would be that Max Verstappen would take a 10-place grid penalty for taking his fourth internal combustion engine of the season, which is more than the permitted three allowed for each driver. He would initially take top spot in qualifying but it would drop him 11th with the penalty, meaning Ferrari's Charles Leclerc would inherit pole position - for the 25th of his Formula 1 career. Sergio Perez would join him on the front row. When attention turned to the race, it initially seemed like a genius strategic call from George Russell, to attempt the one-stop strategy as he managed to keep his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton behind, to win the race in what would be a Mercedes 1-2 in the provisional classification. However, due to George Russell's car being below the minimum weight required at the end of the race. He would therefore be disqualified from the event. This would therefore give Hamilton the win and promote Oscar Piastri to second, for his second top two finish in consecutive races. Pole sitter Charles Leclerc would be promoted to third. Excitement building heading into final 10 roundsWith seven winners in the first 14 rounds of the season, and 10 rounds remaining, all is still to play for as action returns from the summer break at Zandvoort this coming weekend. With Verstappen and Red Bull looking to return to victory for the first time since June 23rd, this could be the round for them to do it, with Verstappen having an 100% record in Formula 1, around his home venue. Alternatively, McLaren and Mercedes will be looking to continue where they left off before the summer break. Free Practice 1 will see Formula 1 action return on Friday. 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship: Round 15 - Dutch Grand Prix session timesTrack Times
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 Brandon Whiteside
Writer - F1 Journal
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