Formula 1 needs to put on a show for the fans after the fiasco in Belgium and it will not take long for Dutch fans and Max Verstappen's Orange Army to get the party started at Zandvoort this weekend.
Tickets for the first Dutch Grand Prix in 36 years have been snapped up in the rush to see Red Bull's exciting young title contender race for the first time on home soil as a Formula 1 driver.
The race's return was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is going ahead this time with around 70,000 daily spectators sure to make their voices heard.
The old-school circuit in the dunes of the beach resort, a short journey from Amsterdam, will be just the place for the 23-year-old Verstappen to wrest the championship lead from Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton.
The Dutchman has six victories to his credit from 12 races but is still three points adrift of the seven-times world champion, who will be venturing deep into hostile territory in search of a record-extending 100th career win.
Verstappen's win at Spa-Francorchamps was not one to celebrate, coming after a couple of laps in atrocious, wet conditions behind the safety car and the race declared, but Zandvoort will be very special.
"It was amazing to see so many fans supporting us in Austria and Belgium and I hope we can put on a good show for everyone in the grandstands this weekend.
"As for the track, it might be a little hard to overtake on but for single-lap performance I think it´s going to be rewarding. The qualifying laps will be very quick there so any mistakes will be really costly," said Verstappen, whose Orange Army follow him across the globe.
The undulating seaside track, with banked corners, has short straights and limited overtaking opportunities but it could throw up some surprises with most drivers having no more experience of it than in the simulator.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, whose team lead both championships but with Red Bull closing the gap, looked forward to moving on from a miserable weekend and fighting for a proper victory.
"We're relishing the challenge of tackling a new track because it is new for everyone and that means fresh opportunities to find advantage," he said.
"We'll be looking to hit the ground running on Friday and take the fight to our competitors. It will be exciting to see who comes out on top."
The last winner in the Netherlands was Austria's late triple F1 champion Niki Lauda in a McLaren one-two with Frenchman Alain Prost.
While the battle looks likely to be between the two title contenders, McLaren's Lando Norris will want to make amends after crashing in Belgian qualifying while setting the pace initially.
"Zandvoort is a cool circuit and one that I've raced, and won, at before, back in 2017 in Formula 3," he said. "The track has changed quite a bit since then, with new banking, which could change how the race plays out."
Dutch Grand Prix Reuters Facts & Stats
- Formula One statistics for Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, round 13 of the world championship:
- The last F1 race at the circuit was in 1985.
- Lap distance:4.259km. Total distance: 306.648km (72 laps)
- Start time: 1300 GMT/1500 local
DUTCH GRAND PRIX
- The first Dutch Grand Prix was held in 1952, with Zandvoort opening as a circuit in 1948 in the coastal dunes of the beach resort, and ended in Ferrari sweeping the top three places.
- The quick and undulating circuit, roughly a half-hour train journey from Amsterdam, has been upgraded but is still generally considered 'old school'.
- The circuit has a mix of speeds with some banked corners, the last two with an angle steeper than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That will put quite a load on the tyres.
- There are some notable corner names, the first being Tarzan and the last named after two-times Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk.
RACE WINS
- Hamilton has a record 99 career victories, of which 78 have been with Mercedes, from 278 starts. He has been on the podium 174 times.
- Verstappen has won six races so far in 2021, to Hamilton's four and one each for Red Bull's Mexican Sergio Perez and Alpine's Esteban Ocon.
- Ferrari have won 238 races since 1950, McLaren 182, Mercedes 119, Williams 114 and Red Bull 71. Former champions McLaren and Williams have not won since 2012.
POLE POSITION
- Hamilton has a record 101 career poles and has won 59 times from pole. He has had three poles so far in 2021.
- Verstappen has been on pole six times this year, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fastest in Azerbaijan and Monaco qualifying. Bottas was on pole in Portugal.
CHAMPIONSHIP
- Hamilton is three points ahead of Verstappen.
- Mercedes lead Red Bull by seven.
SAFETY CAR
- The safety car has been deployed in all but three races so far this year. There have been five red flags, more than in any season for 20 years.
MILESTONES
- Last Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix was the shortest ever, the race stopped after a couple of laps behind the safety car.
- Hamilton can become the first F1 driver to win 100 grands prix.
- Verstappen can become the first Dutch driver to win a grand prix on home soil.
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