F1: Max reigns at home in rollercoaster race – Gulf Digital News

F1: Max reigns at home in rollercoaster race – Gulf Digital News

Analysis of the Dutch Grand Prix, brought to you by Bahrain International Circuit

F1 arrived in Zandvoort under the now familiar sea of orange, with patriotic fans as passionate as ever in welcoming home their world champion. Whilst last year they had hoped desperately for a Verstappen win, which he duly delivered, this year there was far more of an air of expectation for a victory given the results of the last few races.

Qualifying, however, showed that the race would unlikely be the walk in the park that the fans were expecting. Whilst Verstappen did take pole, Leclerc was just 2 hundredths of a second behind him, with the other Ferrari of Sainz only marginally behind that in third.

The other big story from Saturday was the sudden resurgence of Mercedes, with Hamilton qualifying in fourth, looking very competitive on pace. He was slightly at a loss to explain the change in fortune for the team, comparing it to a ‘mood swing’ of the car. Whatever the reason, there was an expectation that this could be a strong race for the Silver Arrows. That expectation, when Sunday came, turned out to be well-founded.

On paper, many expected a two-stop race, with most of