Sport
Dutch Grand Prix preview
Formula One returns after a summer break as we head to the Zandvoort circuit for the Dutch Grand Prix.
An undulating and quick track, Zandvoort flows through sand dunes and is a tricky test for the drivers. Countryman Max Verstappen has won the last three editions of the race since it returned to the calendar.
Bet on the Dutch Grand Prix here with William Hill
Drivers and teams to look out for
Where else to start other than with Dutchman Max Verstappen of Red Bull. The three-time winner of the race has been installed as 15/8 second-favourite to win the Grand Prix, which may come as a surprise to some, as his recent form hasn’t been at the level that we have come to expect of the Dutchman. However if there was a track you’d want for him to bounce back, Zandvoort would be the one.
He’s winless in his last four races and was never really in the shake-up in three of them, especially the Hungarian Grand Prix where he had an argument with his engineer over the radio mid-race following a contentious incident with Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen claiming he was ‘trying to save what was left’.
Red Bull since changed the engine in the car, meaning Verstappen was hit with a ten-place grid penalty in the most recent Grand Prix in Belgium and while he was never challenging for first, he seemed in better spirits with the car.
Returning to his home country and a familiar track, the price of 15/8 to win this weekend’s race needs to be seriously considered.
The Championship battle
It seemed unlikely at the start of the season that any team was going to really take it to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, but it’s McLaren this year who have stepped up and now pose a serious threat to Red Bull.
Lando Norris is the 7/4 favourite to take the weekend’s race and end Verstappen’s streak in Holland, highlighting the form of the Englishman and McLaren.
However, the engine upgrade made to Verstappen’s Red Bull pre-Belgium did seem to have enhanced the performance of Verstappen who managed to climb from 11th to fourth, passing Norris in the process. In his home grand prix this time around, his price of 15/8 to win is appealing.
Resurgent Mercedes
Another team that has come out from the pack in recent races are the once dominant Mercedes. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton took the win in Belgium, after a retroactive disqualification for teammate George Russell following the car coming in underweight. Both drivers drove a great race, with Russell electing to go for a longer strategy, taking a risk with tyre wear that paid off as Lewis couldn’t quite peg him back.
It did seem as if Mercedes were on a downward trajectory, especially following the news of Hamilton’s defection to Ferrari in the new season, but the car looks extremely quick and you cannot write off the two British drivers. At 7/2, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to both finish on the podium at Zandvoort looks good, with Hamilton looking to follow up and Russell eager to put right what was a very disappointing end to the first half of the Formula One season.
