Red Flags Overshadow Practice at Dutch Grand Prix
After the four-week summer break, Formula One is back for the second half of the season. Touched down in Zandvoort, Netherlands, the Dutch Grand Prix weekend began with plenty of anticipation and excitement. The first practice sessions back show whether the break refueled or plateaued the team’s performance. The first two practice sessions were full of red flags and constant stoppages that overshadowed the excitement heading into the weekend.
Free Practice One set the tone for the day with several drivers spinning, going into the gravel, or beaching themselves. Home-town hero, Max Verstappen, found himself stuck off the track and finished early. Drivers Yuki Tsunoda, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Kimi Antonelli all found themselves in the gravel during FP1, but all managed to keep going. Each incident interpreted the race or brought out a red flag that disrupted the rhythm of the session. Even with the early finish and distractions, Verstappen managed to put in some quick laps in front of his home crowd and is currently in sixth.
Red flags continued to plague the weekend with two in Free Practice Two. Most notably, Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll had a big crash into the wall that crushed the right side of his car. Stroll had finished P3 in Free Practice One, behind the two McLarens and just above teammate Fernando Alonso. Stroll only finished seven laps and jumped down to 18th for FP2. Later on, Williams driver Alex Albon drove off into the gravel and slightly damaged the front wing to end his session too. Both put red flags up and slowed the whole grid down while cutting into valuable track time.
The chaotic first race day of the weekend is finished, leaving several drivers with ground to make up in Saturday’s final practice and qualifying races. Teams will be under pressure to perform at the first race back after the long vacation and find their pace after losing so much time on the track from red flags. Red Bull will look to give Verstappen a win in front of his home crowd after coming second to Lando Norris in 2024. With valuable points on the line, the stage is set for F1’s dramatic return at Zandvoort.
