Netherlands GP Classification and times
World Cup 2021 The fight between Hamilton and Verstappen
The return to Zandvoort, after 35 years of absence, was well worth it for
Max Verstappen
, who sealed a powerful victory against his fans with which he regained the leadership of the World Cup.
In a race without history, focused on strategic guesswork, the hometown idol held the timid onslaught of
Lewis Hamilton
and
Valtteri Bottas
, teammates on the podium and locked in an absurd final fight for the fastest lap bonus.
Red Bull's mechanical superiority and the absence of any incidents on the asphalt turned Sunday into a triumphant
Mad Max
parade
.
Among the general atony,
Fernando Alonso
scratched a creditable sixth place, beating
Carlos Sainz
in the last lap
, seventh.
That competitive desire of the Asturian and the internal mess between the Mercedes gave some luster to an afternoon that only the 105,000 fans present in the stands will remember with nostalgia. Alonso only yielded to the power of
Pierre Gasly
and the consistency of
Charles Leclerc
, while Sainz's Ferrari, weakened by Saturday's accident, was hopelessly losing steam. Ahead, the extra point, for which the rebel Bottas was also fighting, ended up in the hands of Hamilton (1: 11.097).
The consolation prize cannot satisfy Mercedes, who tried to express her numerical superiority against Verstappen.
In all the ways the engineers of
Toto Wolff
tried
, without finding a definitive answer before the leader.
Cruising at the pace of a cruise, managing its advantages with exemplary serenity, Red Bull took a victory that an entire country dreamed of.
Two posts in one lap
In an afternoon without a single
safety car
, where overtaking was counted on the fingers of the hands, the only imperishable moment came at the start. Alonso, with a flash of lightning in his eyes, challenged
Esteban Ocon
, his garage companion
, wheel after wheel
, before risking the limit on the outside of Turn 3. There he was going to run into the ailerons of
George Russell
and
Antonio Giovinazzi
. However, he soon began to give up almost a second per lap to the Ferraris. Ocon would record on the radio: "Fernando is extremely slow."
Nothing changed in the middle zone until the middle of the race, when the Ferraris were the only ones to bet on hard shoes. Two laps later Alonso entered, already doubled by the leader. The experience of the Oviedo, added to the extreme degradation of Sainz tires, decided the fate of the Spaniards. In addition, Alpine can celebrate the low-key role of McLaren and Aston Martin. Between
Lando Norris
,
Daniel Ricciardo
,
Lance Stroll
and
Sebastian Vettel they
only added a sad point.
Ahead, during the first quarter of the race, Verstappen's lead was held at around three seconds.
Giampiero Lambiase
, his engineer, advanced the possibility that Hamilton's strategy would be stretched to two stops.
"The tires are on the limit," said the Briton, just before going through the pits on lap 21. Red Bull did not waste a minute tracing the movement, putting Bottas in the lead.
"I don't know why you were in such a hurry"
Mercedes' initiative not only cut the deficit to just two seconds, it also forced Verstappen to follow Hamilton's plan.
"It is absolutely critical to get to Bottas and pass him," they said on Red Bull radio.
And
Mad Max
did his job on lap 31, aided by the DRS on the main straight.
The Finn's mission did not end there, as he pushed hard, almost a second faster than his rivals.
Despite this, this inspiration behind the wheel came up against his eternal misfortune again, at the moment when he was hampered by a Vettel spin at Turn 3. From that moment, the victory would be aired between the seven-time champion and the great title contender.
Mercedes played too much on the wire and that precipitation made her play a desperate card.
On lap 41 he called again for Hamilton, who on his return to the asphalt was blocked by the bends.
"Those tires had a lot of life left, I don't know why you were in such a hurry," lamented the Briton.
"I don't think I can reach the goal with these," he added in his litany.
Christian Horner
, who had mounted the hard tires on his leader's car, saw the road clear at that moment.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
sports
Formula 1
Carlos Sainz Jr
Fernando Alonso
Max verstappen
Lewis hamilton
Red bull racing
Mercedes gp
Formula 1Verstappen dominates at home with a 'pole' to spare
Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, live
Formula 1Hard accident for Sainz that compromises his weekend in Zandvoort
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