Home hero Max Verstappen endured a challenging start to the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, finishing fifth in Friday’s second free practice session at Circuit Zandvoort. The four-time World Champion expressed frustration as persistent issues with his Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 continued to hamper performance, echoing problems that have plagued the team in recent races.
Lando Norris set a blistering pace for McLaren, topping the FP2 timesheets with a 1:09.890, closely followed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Mercedes’ George Russell secured fourth, with Verstappen trailing in fifth, nearly six-tenths of a second off Norris’ benchmark. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, finished seventh, further highlighting the team’s struggles to find competitive pace.
“We still have the same issues,” Verstappen said after the session. “We tried a lot of things with the car, but it doesn’t change anything for the underlying problems. We’ll check tonight if we can find anything, but I’m not expecting a big turnaround. The layout of the circuit also doesn’t really suit solving the problems we have in the car.”
The session was far from smooth for Verstappen, who made an uncharacteristic error in FP1 after completing a practice start. Locking up into Turn 1, he beached his RB21 in the gravel, though the car sustained no damage, allowing him to continue in FP2. The incident capped a frustrating opening day for the reigning champion, who sits 97 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri with 10 races remaining.
McLaren’s dominance was evident as Norris and Piastri locked out the top spots in both practice sessions, signaling their intent to challenge for victory at a track where Norris triumphed in 2024. Aston Martin also surprised with Alonso and Lance Stroll showing strong pace, though Stroll’s FP2 ended early after a heavy crash at the banked Turn 3, which brought out a red flag.
The Zandvoort circuit, known for its narrow layout and high-downforce demands, posed additional challenges for Red Bull. Verstappen had already tempered expectations on Thursday, noting that the track’s characteristics were unlikely to favor the RB21. “I hope we can be closer than we were in our last race in Budapest, that was not a great weekend for us,” he said. “But I don’t think this is the best track for us on the calendar.”
Adding to the complexity, weather conditions remained a factor. While FP1 was run under sunny skies, grey clouds loomed over FP2, with the threat of rain lingering. The forecast for Saturday’s final practice and qualifying sessions suggests potential disruptions, which could shake up strategies and provide opportunities for teams like Red Bull to capitalize on chaos.
Despite the setbacks, Verstappen remained pragmatic about his prospects. “We analyze the car and our working methods and try to improve them for the future,” he said, emphasizing a focus on long-term development over immediate frustration. With the passionate “Orange Army” cheering him on, Verstappen will hope his team can unlock solutions overnight to close the gap to McLaren and Aston Martin.
Elsewhere, other drivers faced their own challenges. Williams’ Alex Albon crashed at Turn 1 in FP2, triggering another red flag, while Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli beached his car in FP1, continuing a tough rookie season. Ferrari also struggled, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing well off the pace in eighth and sixth, respectively.
As the Dutch Grand Prix weekend progresses, all eyes will be on Red Bull’s overnight efforts to address their car’s shortcomings. For Verstappen, a strong performance in front of his home crowd remains a tantalizing but elusive goal. Final practice and qualifying on Saturday, August 30, will be crucial in determining whether the Dutchman can keep his hopes of a fifth consecutive title alive.
Source: Verstappen.com, Formula1.com, BBC Sport
