FROM THE ENCOUNTER TO ZANDVOORT. Ferrari is once again competitive after the difficult parenthesis at Spa. In the free practice of the Dutch GP, the two Reds finished in the lead, as almost always happened in the qualifying simulations on Friday. Charles Leclerc set the best time of the day in 1m12.345s, 4 thousandths faster than team mate Carlos Sainz. In a slower and more tortuous circuit with higher downforce, the F1-75 has therefore found competitiveness.
The feelings at the end of the day are positive for Ferrari, but there is no direct confrontation with Max Verstappen, the ruler last Sunday at Spa. The Dutch driver, leading the World Championship with 93 points ahead of Sergio Perez and 98 over Leclerc, made only one fast lap, closed with the eighth time with used tires, and then he dedicated himself to simulations in race setup. Red Bull knows that it is inferior to Ferrari in qualifying (4 to 9 poles), so it favors performance in the race. But there is also an alarm bell about reliability: in the morning tests, Verstappen stopped on the track due to gearbox problems: a shiver of fear for his 120,000 fans who painted the stands of the circuit orange. Zandvoort. A part was replaced on his car without incurring a penalty.
The third place on Friday goes to Lewis Hamilton (the Mercedes were in the lead in the first session, on a track soiled by the sand blown by the wind): 72 thousandths the gap from Leclerc of the seven-time champion, followed by Lando Norris (McLaren, 0 310), George Russell (Mercedes, 0 ” 310), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin, 0 ” 401), Fernando Alonso (Alpine, 0 ” 503), Verstappen (Red Bull, 0 ” 697), Esteban Ocon (Alpine, 0”960) and Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren, 1’017). Perez struggles with the other Red Bull, only 12th at 1 ” 148.
The program: Saturday at 12 free practice, 15 at qualifying; Sunday at 3 pm race. Live on Sky (postponed on Tv8 of qualifying and race starting at 6pm.