Dutch Grand Prix: Stage preview

orange sky,
orange sea,
orange green,
Orange camel.
orange mothers
Orange guys
orange songs
They sing orange.

If on other stages the spectators support all riders to varying degrees, then there is only one hero in Zandvoort. In 2021, the orange smoke from the fires of the Dutch fans at the start of the Grand Prix turned out to be so thick that it hindered the riders. In 2022, its use was limited – and fireworks flew onto the track. This forced qualifying to be stopped with red flags and the fan removed, but soon the flare flew in from another grandstand.

Such vivid emotions are quite understandable. There are many football fans in Max Verstappen’s orange army who have found a new idol for themselves. Max’s success has led to his return to the national stage calendar, newspapers write about him, they talk about him in the news, he is a national hero – and the public loves to come and support him.

This is the correct and very sporty way to appear on the calendar of new stages. The fantastic atmosphere of a busy circuit cannot be compared to the half-empty grandstands of Asian circuits, although we have long been used to it.

The popularity of Formula 1 in the Netherlands can only be compared to the excitement in Germany during the victories of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, when the Germans were the only ones to host two stages at the same time. Now only in the US there are different stages and for completely different reasons.

Max Verstappen was born in Belgium, but considers himself Dutch and performs under a Dutch license. For him this is the second home Grand Prix in a row, after the triumph at Spa, only a victory is expected from him.

12 Grands Prix and a big summer break behind us, to the end of the season 14 weeks – we will see ten stages, including a series of three races in a row and three weekends with a sprint on Saturday. The schedule is busy and very interesting, the only pity is that the second half of the season does not bring intrigue in the battle for the title.

The upcoming Dutch Grand Prix will be the first of two motos in a row to complete the European leg of the season. A week later, Monza and then Formula 1 will go on tour – first to the east and then to the west, to conclude the season in Abu Dhabi at the end of November.

The champion is known, it can only be guessed in which race Verstappen will win the title earlier than planned. This year Red Bull has no rivals. The teams have limited the refinement of the machines – only the new items prepared in advance will appear and transfer to the next season, which is inevitable with limited budgets.

But if we do not consider the picture as a whole, but each weekend individually, ten more exciting fights await us, including Suzuka, Sao Paulo, and it is curious to look at the new circuit in Las Vegas.

Now it remains to be seen whether the World Cup leader will live up to the expectations of his fans in Zandvoort, on a rainy track in the burnt grass-covered dunes on the North Sea coast.