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F1 resumes competition this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix following a one-month summer hiatus. Need to Know is your comprehensive guide with numbers, trivia, analysis, and much more before the event. Using our F1 Play prediction game, you can also view the results of the public vote.
On Friday, August 25, the first two practice sessions at the challenging Zandvoort track will be held. Final practice and qualifying will be held on Saturday, August 26, and the Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, August 27.
fan opinion For F1 Play players, little has changed over the summer break. They still think Max Verstappen will dominate at Zandvoort on home soil. Only his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc have so far been able to record more than 1% apiece, leaving him with more over 95% of the votes for the win.
The driver’s verdict Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: I’ve only done this one on a bike! Zandvoort is actually a lovely circuit that has been adapted really well for modern F1. It’s still difficult to overtake on, as expected with an old design of track, but the banking makes a huge difference.
Verstappen is expected to be the quickest guy to complete a single lap at his home track by more than 86% of F1 Play players, following the victory predictions that are significantly in his favor. Hamilton (6%) is well behind in second place.
Keys to strategy and setup
Former Aston Martin F1 strategist Bernie Collins: Zandvoort is a narrow, winding course with numerous sharply banked turns that have the appearance of a rollercoaster. Since you're continually walking on one side of your shoe, it's one of the more difficult track walks on the calendar.
Without a significant tyre delta, it is a rather challenging circuit to pass on given the layout. However, offset stop laps or compounds enable this due to significant tyre stress and consequent deterioration. In 2022, we witnessed a multiple-stop race with the identical C1, C2, and C3 allotment (albeit the C1 was softer this time around).
The late Safety Car, which forced most drivers to pit for new tires with just over 15 laps left in the race last year, added another spice to the proceedings. See our Workday Strategy Session for more information on that circumstance. Lewis Hamilton staying out and dropping back demonstrated that overtaking was viable on the new tires.
