Another victory for the Dutchman, on a very different track to Spa, could short-circuit the title race
For the swathe of orange-clad fans swarming across the dunes of Zandvoort, nothing less than a home victory at the Dutch Grand Prix for their man Max Verstappen will suffice. They know he is on a roll, marching to his second title, and they want to party, but for the Dutchman his performance will be of greatest import in just how emphatically he might wrap up the championship.
Meanwhile the wrangling between Alpine and McLaren finally came to a close. Formula One’s contract recognition board (CRB) ruled on the future of Oscar Piastri, confirming in McLaren’s favour that the Australian’s contract with the team was valid. After signing a multi-year deal, the 21-year-old will make his F1 debut for the team next season.