The 2023 F1 Season is back from the summer break, hopefulyl with all the teams and drivers refreshed and ready to win races. Will anyone other than Red Bull win a race in the second half of the season? Surely they will. And surely our 2023 Dutch F1 Grand Prix Preview will provide a welcome return to F1 in 2023. But don’t call us Shirley.
The Gurgler’s 2023 Dutch F1 Grand Prix Preview brings some thoughts on the race itself, a few bold predictions here and there, a few barely interesting stats.
Essentially a quick summary of what a casual F1 fan needs in the shortest possible time.
The circuit, which looks like an artist on acid has tried to draw a hammerhead shark, which is probably apt as the circuit is right on the beach, The Netherlands has lots of legalised drugs, and local hero Max Verstappen will probably hammer the opposition.
It’s one of the better efforts to revive an old classic with a lot of the fast sweepers remaining, and the narrower width a real feel of back-in-the-day.
Turn One is a great overtaking spot. Turn Three has the feel of a computer game as the cars scramble around the banked corner. And the final turn feels a little Indy.
Lots going on, and most of it great.
2023 Dutch F1 Grand Prix Preview – Race Rating
The Gurgler does like to use some obscure drivers in our Race previews and report, so who better to use than Teo Fabi to determine a race rating system.
So before each race we give a rating out of ten for four key category that are loosely based on each letter of Teo Fabi’s surname. Don’t know who Teo Fabi is, you should.
FAST? 8/10 – Loads of fast sections, and the banking and tightness of the track only seem to enhance the speed.
ACTION? 4/10 – Verstappen won by 21 seconds in 2021’s return. But at least last season there was a conspiracy theory flapping around when an Alpha Tauri retired on circuit which ended up convenient for the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. But not holding out for much action if it is dry.
BIG HISTORY? – 7/10 32 Grands Prix at Zaandvoort over the years, so a decent history here, with historic wins for the first Ford engine in 1967 which would power many cars for decades. Plus the place of Niki Lauda’s final F1 wins. Among a wide variety of star winners. Sadly also the home to a few deadly accidents too, back in the less safe days.
INCLEMENT WEATHER? – 9/10 70%-80% chance of rain on every day. That will make it interesting. Taken from The Weather Channel.
RACE RATING 70% – Great track, possible rain. Need it, as a home win for Max Verstappen seems inevitable.
Want to know if your favourite driver for this weekend is a master of the track or the track is a master of them? Here then are some barely interesting facts and stats.
- Since returning to Zaandvoort in 2021, Max Verstappen has won both races from pole position and taken fastest lap last season. His only disappointment was being “only” third for fastest lap in 2021. And he has led for all but 22 laps of the two races.
- It’s not just first position. Fourth and fifth on the grid have finished fourth and fifth in both races too. Fourth was Pierre Gasly back in 2021 in his Alpha Tauri.
- Lando Norris holds a lap record on a previous version of the circuit for Formula 3.
- French drivers won four races in a row on the old circuit from 1981 to 1984.
- Yuki Tsunoda has retired from both races in his career so far.
DRIVER GRID POSITION vs RACE RESULT FROM 2021 – CURRENT DRIVERS
TEAM GRID POSITION vs RACE RESULT FROM 2021
HISTORIC DRIVER RESULTS
99 = a DNF. Grid position 20 is overstated as that was also used for cars starting in pitlane.
RACE RESULTS FROM GRID POSITION (FROM 2001)
- Wet qualifying and Sergio Perez bins it in Q2. Copied and pasted from a few of our previous previews.
- A double McLaren podium.
- George Russell out on the first lap, taking someone else with him. Probably a Ferrari. They’re unlucky.
- Points for Daniel Ricciardo. DNF for Yuki Tsunoda.
- Nico Hulkenberg qualifies in top five and doesn’t score a point. Also copied and pasted from previous versions.
- Oh, and Max Verstappen wins.
ALL RACE RESULTS – DUTCH GRAND PRIX
