F1 2025: Dutch GP - Zandvoort (Aug 31)

<b><span class="theme-aware-color" style="--user-color: Red;"><span style="display: inline-block; font-size: 113%; line-height: 1.45;">F1 2025: Dutch GP - Zandvoort (Aug 31) </span></span></b>

Schedule:
https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2025/netherlands
(Start times adjusts automatically to your local time/date depending on your browsers/internet settings)

Circuit:
Circuitpark Zandvoort



Circuit stats:
First Grand Prix: 1952
Number of Laps: 72
Circuit Length: 4.259 km
Race Distance: 306.587 km
Lap Record: 1:11.097 (Lewis Hamilton 2021)

Tires:

https://press.pirelli.com/there-at-the-start-75-years-ago-pirelli-hits-the-500-grands-prix-mark/

Onboard Lap:
(2024 Lando Norris pole lap)
2024 thread:
F1 2024: Dutch GP - Zandvoort (Aug 25)

2024 race highlights:
2024 Lollipopman Comics:

So what are your predictions?

The summer break is still in progress. Not much news on new updates on the cars etc. During the summer break it's mandatory for the f1 factories to close and seize development. The FIA doesn't want the teams to work their employees to death

So my prediction is that McLaren will still be by far the fastest (with PIA my favorite).
I think RUS will do a good job on Zandvoort (I expect temperatures to be moderate and team MERC will get their cars in their windows) and maybe Max will too.

This is my prediction:

1. PIA
2. NOR
3. RUS
4. VER
5. ANT
6. LEC
7. ALO
8. HAD
9. HAM
10. STR

For people who don't place predictions: please refrain from giving negative comments after the race on predictions other members have given. Nobody makes perfect predictions, and if you don't make predictions yourself, you're not showing you know better.

GuidoK wrote

So what are your predictions?

The summer break is still in progress. Not much news on new updates on the cars etc. During the summer break it's mandatory for the f1 factories to close and seize development. The FIA doesn't want the teams to work their employees to death

So my prediction is that McLaren will still be by far the fastest (with PIA my favorite).
I think RUS will do a good job on Zandvoort (I expect temperatures to be moderate and team MERC will get their cars in their windows) and maybe Max will too.

This is my prediction:

1. PIA
2. NOR
3. RUS
4. VER
5. ANT
6. LEC
7. ALO
8. HAD
9. HAM
10. STR

For people who don't place predictions: please refrain from giving negative comments after the race on predictions other members have given. Nobody makes perfect predictions, and if you don't make predictions yourself, you're not showing you know better.

RUS finishing ahead of MAX would normally be wishful thinking here, but it's obvious as the driven snow that Merc keep adding something to RUS's car I suspect with McLaren help (thanks for the engines) and coincidently this happening with a certain person's reemployment in FIA.
This time I won't make a race prediction for MAX but will say the Orange Army should easily outnumber the papaya followers.
1. NOR (making less mistakes now.
2. PIA (self doubt may be creeping in with 3-1 to NOR in last 4 races.

I'm under the impression that team work will be able to start tomorrow (Monday) when the FIA mandatory 14 day shutdown period for car development ends.

M5Rick wrote

I'm under the impression that team work will be able to start tomorrow (Monday) when the FIA mandatory 14 day shutdown period for car development ends.

Hopefully

Killed by Death wrote

Hopefully

Your team and especially car 44 driver certainly needs something more than just another upgrade that looks more like a downgrade race after race just like with the RBR car 1, don't even mention the other car who I forget who's even driving that one

M5Rick wrote

Your team and especially car 44 driver certainly needs something more than just another upgrade that looks more like a downgrade race after race just like with the RBR car 1, don't even mention the other car who I forget who's even driving that one

having a chassis that won't break mid-race would be a start.

Killed by Death wrote

having a chassis that won't break mid-race would be a start.

Probably rushed the process to make the c/f tub which you have to allow perhaps weeks to complete it perfect.

M5Rick wrote

Probably rushed the process to make the c/f tub which you have to allow perhaps weeks to complete it perfect.

That or hammy sabotaged Charlie's car

Killed by Death wrote

That or hammy sabotaged Charlie's car

Jealousy with Ferrari teammates has been running rife since 1950, wasn't really helped by Enzo's face to face with potential drivers saying 'If you want to drive my cars I want you to win' which did more harm than good and caused friction.

M5Rick wrote

Jealousy with Ferrari teammates has been running rife since 1950, wasn't really helped by Enzo's face to face with potential drivers saying 'If you want to drive my cars I want you to win' which did more harm than good and caused friction.

Most likely the reason they brought Kimi back to partner with Seb. No drama!!!

Killed by Death wrote

Most likely the reason they brought Kimi back to partner with Seb. No drama!!!

The thinking was to fight each other and they'll beat everyone else

M5Rick wrote

1. NOR (making less mistakes now.
2. PIA (self doubt may be creeping in with 3-1 to NOR in last 4 races.

100%.

The one challenge I see for Norris is he doesn't seem to have as much confidence in dirty air as Piastri does. When Norris gets the lead, he can keep it, but if he screws up quali or more typically the first lap, he's on the back foot and doesn't seem to like pushing corners in dirty air. I think Piastri's ability to run in dirty air is risky though, because when he does it he seems like he's driving too much on the edge and it's nearly resulted in a few crashes.

M5Rick wrote

2. PIA (self doubt may be creeping in with 3-1 to NOR in last 4 races.

dfox wrote

100%.

The one challenge I see for Norris is he doesn't seem to have as much confidence in dirty air as Piastri does. When Norris gets the lead, he can keep it, but if he screws up quali or more typically the first lap, he's on the back foot and doesn't seem to like pushing corners in dirty air. I think Piastri's ability to run in dirty air is risky though, because when he does it he seems like he's driving too much on the edge and it's nearly resulted in a few crashes.

Actually it should be 2-2 IMHO. I don't think Oscar is getting all twisted up with doubt. Lando had no choice but to one stop last race and was lucky it worked. He should have finished much lower.

Killed by Death wrote

Actually it should be 2-2 IMHO. I don't think Oscar is getting all twisted up with doubt. Lando had no choice but to one stop last race and was lucky it worked. He could have finished much lower.

FTFY

Killed by Death wrote

Actually it should be 2-2 IMHO. I don't think Oscar is getting all twisted up with doubt. Lando had no choice but to one stop last race and was lucky it worked. He should have finished much lower.

Based on his lap one performance, sure. But beyond that is just a guess. He managed to hold off Piastri at the end of the race despite having super old tires. There's a lot of skill involved in what he had to do to keep that win...

Killed by Death wrote

Actually it should be 2-2 IMHO. I don't think Oscar is getting all twisted up with doubt. Lando had no choice but to one stop last race and was lucky it worked. He should have finished much lower.

Def need the two Mclarens to have some DNFs (crash or mechanical or otherwise) to add something to what is a lifeless F1 now. Nothing exciting about the drivers, the way they race, and the lack of anything exceptional in terms of performance despite a dominant of dominant cars. At least when Max was winning he was putting on a show of dominance never seen before - wins in a season, wins in a row, most point, most podiums, most whatever, and that car was nowhere near the level of good like the Mclaren or any of those MB from last gen.

To balance out weird opinions here’s Oscar’s latest news and gloriously excited expression.

1. Piastri
2. Max
3. Lando

I think Lando will have a mishap somewhere if it's not the perfect day for him and expecting Max and Oscar to be fighting

With the team boffins back in their garages I'm slightly changing my prediction, as Zandvoort is the most attended race by the Orange Army, that and Wache getting something right,so
1. MAX starting on pole.
2. LAN
3. RUS
..PIA will be a DNF

The perfect team.

Indeed they have the perfect car.