Verstappen races at home. More pressure?

Is the Dutch Grand Prix good for Max Verstappen? On the one hand, the Dutch driver races with the support of the fans, the ‘orange wave’. But, on the other hand, the pressure is immense, and even the royal family will be in attendance. The return from the summer break could be the decisive moment for Max to try and turn things around. And, also, to define his future in Formula 1. This will be the last time F1 visits Zandvoort. The race will be held this Sunday starting at 10 am (Brasília time), with exclusive broadcasting by TV Globo, SporTV 3, Globoplay, and BandNews FM. On Saturday, the sprint starts at 7 am. And qualifying at 11 am.

The news for Red Bull in Zandvoort will be the presence of New Zealander Liam Lawson in place of Isack Hadjar, who suffered a right wrist injury while working out at a gym. Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, in turn, will race for Racing Bulls, replacing Lawson. The team’s initial forecast is that Hadjar might already be able to race the following week in Monza.

Starting with Zandvoort. The traditional Dutch circuit, which first hosted F1 in 1952 and has irregularly made it to 2026, will no longer host the race as of next year. The contract was not renewed. There is a possibility that the race could return to the country in the future at another track, Assen, which also hosts MotoGP. But, for now, there is no confirmation.

Discontinued after 1985, the race returned in 2021 driven by ‘Verstappenmania’. And the driver responded by winning three consecutive races in 2021, 2022, and 2023. McLaren triumphed in the last two with Lando Norris in 2024 and Oscar Piastri last year.

This year, however, Verstappen’s chances are limited. He has yet to win a race and has been on the podium 4 times. In the championship standings, he finds himself in an uncomfortable position, in 6th place, 110 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli. He will have to rely on his opportunism to achieve a good result in the GP. With the sprint, 33 points will be up for grabs.

Ferrari, meanwhile, will bring a new floor to the race. And it will have a new power unit upgrade at the following race in Monza. If there is any team capable of beating Kimi Antonelli, it is Ferrari, especially with Lewis Hamilton.

Gabriel Bortoleto, who spent a few days in Brazil participating in sponsor events, used the time to practice in the simulators with a focus on Zandvoort. He believes that Audi could show improvement on this medium-speed track. The Dutch GP is tough on Brazilian drivers. The only victory to date was by Nelson Piquet, in 1980.