After a non-race weekend in a wet Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, fans were eager to see some action at Circuit Zandvoort this weekend for the first Dutch Grand Prix since 1985. Check out all of the headlines from F1 this week.
The FIA and F1 are set to discuss potential rule changes over the controversial Belgian Grand Prix washout. A main point of contention seems to be whether or not points should have been awarded for a race that never really happened. The topic has been added to the agenda for the next F1 Commission meeting on October 5.
Formula One management is working with the organizers of the Belgian Grand Prix on options for ticket holders. A statement released by the sport says they are “working through various options for ticket holders, to express our recognition and thanks to them for their dedication and commitment”, although it offers no additional information on what those options may be. Disappointed fans packed a soaked Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday for a race that was ultimately rained out. The sport has been given a lot of flack for the decision to run the cars for two-laps, which is enough to deem it a “race”. Some people (including Lewis Hamilton) insist the controversial move was pressured by commercial reasons, which are allegations the sport denies.
Ahead of the weekend’s debut Dutch Grand Prix, the FIA decided not to allow DRS to be used in the final banked corner of the circuit. The corner was specifically designed with extreme banking so that the drivers would have enough downforce to use the DRS in the corner, extending the DRS zone down the main straight on a circuit that the event organizers were concerned would be difficult to overtake on.
Robert Kubica filled in for Kimi Raikkonen on Saturday and Sunday of the Dutch Grand Prix, as it was revealed the the Finn had tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with the sport’s COVID protocol, Raikkonen was required to quarantine in a hotel for the remainder of the event. According to the team, he was not showing any signs of the illness.
Kimi Raikkonen announced his retirement at the end of the 2021 season. Affectionately known as the “Iceman” and a man of few words, the Finn’s racing career has spanned over 20 years. He has been in F1 since 2001, excluding a two-year hiatus in 2010 and 2011. He made the switch to Alfa Romeo back in 2019 after a five-year stint at Ferrari. Many are speculating that the vacant seat on Alfa Romeo will be taken by Valtteri Bottas (who may be out of a contract with Mercedes at the end of the season).
Alex Albon may be in line for an F1 return with either Williams or Alfa Romeo. His options appear to be largely dependant upon Mercedes’ lineup decision, which would determine what team has a seat open. Some eagle-eyed fans have noticed that Albon’s girlfriend, Lily Muni, has started following the Williams team on Instagram, virtually confirming the contract in some people’s mind. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has hinted around that Mercedes may try to block Albon’s move to Williams due to this “linkage to Red Bull”.
Despite a decision having already been made, fans will need to wait just a little bit longer to hear news on the Mercedes driver lineup for 2022. The two main contenders for the seat are Valtteri Bottas and George Russell, but the team reportedly wants to ensure that both drivers have their plans secured before making a formal announcement. Russell claims to have already been informed of the decision, although he has not revealed what it is. Bottas has said that he’s looking for a multi-year contract, which is something he’s never had at Mercedes since joining in 2017.
McLaren confirmed ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix that inspections of Lando Norris’ power unit that was in the car during his big qualifying shunt in Belgium can be reused. The power unit was newly fitted for the Belgian and it was Norris’ third and final allocated engine for the rest of the season. After the crash, the team put his second power unit in the car while the one from the crash was investigated.
The opening session of the race weekend at the Circuit Zandvoort had a rocky start for Sebastian Vettel. The German driver reported issues with the car on his installation laps and returned to the pit lane. Some time later he returned to the track to do some laps. His car began smoking and came to a halt at the end of the main straight, where the car was on fire. The fire was extinguished, but it took a long time for the car to be removed from the circuit because it was in a live electrical state. The session was red flagged while team personnel came to help remove the car. When the session resumed it was Lewis Hamilton who finished on top of the time charts ahead of home favourite Max Verstappen. Both Ferrari drivers were close behind, with Valtteri Bottas rounding out the top 5.
Hamilton went from hero to zero in the second practice session of the weekend on Friday afternoon, parking his car trackside due to an oil issue after just 3 laps of running. This prompted a short red flag delay and the Brit did not return in the session. Charles Leclerc was on top of the timing sheets by the end of the second free practice session, becoming the first driver of the weekend to set a time quicker than 1:11. Carlos Sainz finished second, showing that Ferrari had pace at the circuit, while Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen filled out the top 5.
Max Verstappen set a blisteringly fast lap time worthy of P1 by the end of the final free practice session of the weekend. His time was well above that of the Mercedes who finished P2 and P3. Bottas’ pace was just over half a second slower than the leading Red Bull. Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso were in the top 5 as well. Carlos Sainz gave his Ferrari garage some work to do ahead of qualifying, losing the rear of the car on the turn 2 exit and skidding into the turn 3 barriers.
The first qualifying session on Saturday was led by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc ahead of Max Verstappen. Sergio Perez failed to make it to the next round of qualifying. Tension was high in the Haas garage, as an angry Nikita Mazepin blamed teammate Mick Schumacher for ruining his fast lap in qualifying. Mazepin was going slowly in the final corners trying to create a gap when he was overtaken by Schumacher who blocked him. The whole situation nearly caught out Sebastian Vettel who was on a flying lap. The FIA ultimately took no action on the incident.
Both sides of the Williams garage were busy overnight after the second qualifying session. George Russell lost the rear of his car and crashed into the barriers while trying to put his car into the top 10. His teammate Nicholas Latifi did the same later in the session at another corner, prematurely bringing the session to a close.
It was Max Verstappen who took pole position in the final qualifying session, narrowly ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc claimed the remaining top 5 positions on the starting grid, as Antonio Giovinazzi tied his best ever qualifying performance with a P7 start. Sergio Perez and Nicholas Latifi would both be required to start the race from the pit lane on Sunday, with both teams opting to change car components ahead of the race.
The race was a battle of pit strategies. Verstappen gained an early lead of the race, with Mercedes not really having an answer to Red Bull’s pace. The two leaders pitted, but Mercedes opted to sacrifice Bottas’ race in favour of Hamilton. The Finn was left out in the lead of the race, being quickly caught up by Verstappen and overtaken. Having to work his way around Bottas dropped Verstappen into the DRS range of Hamilton, but the Brit could not keep up and quickly dropped back. Hamilton pitted for a second stop to take a set of medium tyres, which Red Bull did not have any remaining sets of. Red Bull responded, bringing in Verstappen for a set of hard tyres. Despite making up some good ground in the closing stages of the race, Hamilton was never close enough to mount a challenge and it was Max Verstappen who took a victory and the lead of the championship in front of his home crowd. Bottas caused some drama in the closing laps, taking Hamilton’s fastest lap despite being told multiple times over team radio not to. However, Hamilton pitted and was able to retake the fastest lap and the associated bonus point on the final lap.
Click here to read the full race report.
Next up on the calendar is the conclusion of this triple header stint at Monza. The Italian Grand Prix will be held on the weekend of September 12.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
