Home advantage for Verstappen? 

There’s no doubt this weekend at Zandvoort will be a carnival atmosphere as F1 returns to the Netherlands for the first time in ov👍er 35 years. 

T🧜h⛦e country has its own superstar in Max Verstappen - arguably the best driver in F1 at the moment with a realistic shot at the title. 

With COVIꦡD restrictions slowly loosening, there’s going to be at least 70,000 Dutch fans at Zandvoort on race day to see whether Verst✃appen can win on home soil to reclaim the lead of the championship. 

No doubt, Lewis Hamilton will b♊e on the receiving end of a lot of boos and criticism, especially after their collis♎ion at Silverstone.

Booing is part and parcel of sport, and I suspect it’s somet൲hing that Hamilton will only use to be more fired up this weekend.

The balance of power 

After Mercedes’ upgrade at the British G🉐P, the balance of power appears to have gone back in the reigning world champions favour, although there are a few ca෴veats to that point.

Hamilton claimed pole at the British and Hungarian Grands P🌜rix, while Verstappen took top spot at Spa, albeit in wet cond🔯itions. 

With Verstappen’s race-ending prematurely in Britain and being severely hampered by the damage hꦍe picked up in Hungary, and no race whatsoever taking place in Belgium, we’ve yet to see the Red Bull run in anger since the Austria double-header. 

Zandvoort has one of the shortest lap times on the F1 calendar so expect an even tighter battle at 𒊎the front. 

Another shock on the cards?

F1 has been full of shocks in recent rounds.

From Charles Leclerc’ near-wi൲n at Silverst💦one, Esteban Ocon’s shock triumph in Hungary or Williams’ first podium since 2017 with George Russell at Spa, could we be set for another?

While the weather looks more 🍨favourable than we saw last weekend at Spa, there is still a chance of rain🌳 for Sunday.

Had it not been for Lando Norris’ shunt in Q3 at Spa, we might♓ have had a ‘shock’ pole-si𝔍tter and eventual race winner.

I say shock as Norris had topped Q1 and Q2 before his shunt but given his form so far this season, you never know what might be around the co🦄rner. 

The banking

Turn 14 is taken flat-💧out, generating forces in excess of 4G (according to Pirelli) so it's no surprise the hardest compound of tyre will be available to the teams this weekend. 

Zandvoort is a tight and twisty circuit, so don’t expect too much overtaking on race ꧃day. 

Even if it isn’t a spectacle on track, no doubt the atmosphere created by the orange army will make it on𓆏e to r🍸emember.

The dominos are falling

It seems like tꦅhe dominos are falling with regards to the driver market for 2022. 

According to, Valtteri Bottas will replace Kimi Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo as George Russell gets his well-deserveꦜd promotion to Mercedes. 

Alexander Albon 🎶is expected to be Russell’s replacement at Williams alongside Nicholas Latifi, while 2019 F2 and current Formula E champion Nyck de Vries could partner Bottas at Alfa.

Wi🍌ll the announcements happen this weekend? Unlikely.

The Italian GP has been t𓆉ipped as the big weekend for the news to💛 be broken but this is F1.

One thing’s for sure, the tedious questions about next year that 🐓we hear in every F1 press conference are soon to be no ▨more.