Round 14 of the 2023 Formula 1 season brought the action to the historic Zandvoort Circuit in the Netherlands.
The race started dry, but that was just the calm before the storm – literally. As rain poured down, chaos ensued, with Verstappen making an astonishing five pitstops. Some drivers adapted, while others floundered in the wet conditions. Find out who did what below!
Top of the class
Max Verstappen – Qualifying: 1st | Race: 1st
The Dutchman was clearly at home in the Dunes, as the orange army welcomed him home enthusiastically. Despite some early troubles in the wet qualifying with a lack of tyre temperature, he put everyone firmly back in their place with a stunning pole lap.
The combination of Verstappen with that RB19 is a sight to behold, truly charging through the dunes like a bull focused on a red cloth… or are we talking about a red bull here? Haha.
It is tough luck for F1 that Verstappen is not only the fastest driver in the fastest package but is so absurdly adaptable, meaning that a little bit of chaos is just not enough to seriously threaten his wins.
The season Verstappen is sculpting with his own bare hands and sheer determination teeters on the brink of legendary. His impending championship feels less like a possibility and more like an imminent reality, reinforced by stellar performances like this one.
Fernando Alonso – Qualifying: 5th | Race: 2nd
This was Alonso absolutely at his best. Armed with his best starting position since Montreal, the Spaniard wasted no time in making moves, leapfrogging George Russell and Alex Albon at the start to claim the third spot.
Aston wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders with their strategy, but hey, it wasn’t exactly a dumpster fire either. Getting Alonso in for an early pitstop helped mitigate the time lost from switching to intermediates. Before making moves on both Russell (again) and Zhou Guanyu.
And let’s talk about the pace of the Aston in the dry – Even a slow pitstop couldn’t keep him down, as he clawed his way back into third with the determination of a bulldog with a bone, before taking advantage of a struggling Sergio Perez to move up in second.
His drive was another reminder that age is just a number, especially when you’re Fernando Alonso.
The first honourable mention of the day goes to Liam Lawson.
Lawson’s debut wasn’t exactly a fairy tale with points, but it certainly exceeded expectations for AlphaTauri. While he modestly labelled himself as “reasonably satisfied,” his performance spoke volumes, particularly in the chaotic conditions of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Although heroics might have been lacking, his steady and composed driving throughout the tumultuous race, including a notable battle with a compromised Ferrari and finishing ahead of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, showcased his potential.
The second honourable mention goes to Pierre Gasly.
The Frenchman’s start with Alpine hasn’t been smooth sailing – but a standout performance at the Dutch Grand Prix, especially on Sunday, felt like a well-deserved breakthrough. Further boosted by well-thought-out strategic moves and a little luck with Perez’s penalty.
Despite a pitlane speeding mishap, Gasly showcased Alpine’s strength by overtaking Sainz and leaving Ferrari in the dust after the late restart. Gasly’s podium finish, his first since Azerbaijan 2021, earned the French squad 15 crucial points, nearly half of what they’ve collected in the previous 12 race weekends.
The struggle bus:
Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo arrived at the Zandvoort paddock with a grin as wide as the outback. Having tasted the thrill of racing again with AlphaTauri before the break, the Australian was raring to go. The Aussie has also developed a soft spot for the Netherlands, perhaps due to the irresistible allure of stroopwafels.
But fate had other plans. A mishap in practice saw him careen into the barriers to avoid a collision with Oscar Piastri’s stricken McLaren. The result? A broken fifth metacarpal, sidelining him for the entire race weekend. And with an injury like that, he couldn’t even drive the struggle bus if he wanted to. Fortunately, the marshalls sent him off with a consolation prize of stroopwafels.
Ricciardo flew off to Spain for surgery, which went off without a hitch. Now, he’s channelling all his focus into a speedy recovery, determined to make a swift return to the cockpit. In the meantime, AlphaTauri has recruited Liam Lawson to fill in alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Let’s hope Ricciardo’s comeback is as sweet as those fresh stroopwafels he’s missing out on.
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton – Qualifying: 13th | Race: 6th
George Russell – Qualifying: 3rd | Race: 17th
It is one step forward, two steps back for Mercedes which feels like a team just unable to get all its ducks in sync. It is close, but at this level of elite sport, close is not quite good enough.
Both Mercedes cars were ill-served by their early-race strategy – the team’s forecast was clearly just wrong – but Russell’s side in particular was hit by what really did seem like the absolute worst possible succession of calls short of just ordering him to park up in the gravel somewhere.
There was more misfortune later on, in race-affecting damage from a Tsunoda battle and race-ending damage from a Norris battle, but even if he’d stayed out of the wars it was never going to live up to what it should’ve been.
Then for a dishonourable mention… for Logan Sargeant.
Sargeant’s rookie season at Williams has been a struggle, with the American yet to score points and consistently overshadowed by his teammate, Alex Albon. Although he showed promise with his first Q3 appearance at Zandvoort, a crash during the session led to a major setback. Unfortunately, his misfortune continued in the race as a hydraulic issue, caused by a kerb impact, forced him into retirement. Really, a weekend full of promises, but still the Williams rookie ended up empty-handed, certainly not what we love to see.
As the dust settles and the orange smoke clears, our attention now shifts to the next stop on the F1 calendar: the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Will Verstappen maintain his momentum and extend his lead in the championship standings? Or will challengers emerge to shake up the status quo? Lights will be going out at 2pm UK time.
