Zandvoort: Max Verstappen Races at Home
Formula 1 returns from the summer break this weekend at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. The race is an opportunity for a home triumph by Max Verstappen. Since its comeback to the calendar in 2021, the Dutch GP has seen three straight victories from Max and one from Lando Norris last year. The 2025 season still has 10 races ahead in the next 100 days. BandTV and BandNews FM will broadcast the Dutch GP exclusively on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. (Brasília time). On Saturday, qualifying will be held at 10 a.m.
The Zandvoort race will feature an innovation. The maximum speed in the pit lane has been raised from 60 to 80 km/h. The goal is to encourage teams to make two stops instead of one, making the competition more dynamic. Weather conditions, however, could change the course of the race: rain is forecast for all three days.
In the 14 races so far, championship leader Oscar Piastri has won six times against five victories by his teammate Lando Norris. Max has two wins and George Russell one. The dominance of McLaren’s duo has put the team in a comfortable position in the constructors’ championship. The fight between Piastri and Norris, however, remains wide open, with no signs of being decided anytime soon.
This second half of the championship also paves the way toward 2026. Cadillac has taken the lead by announcing that Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, aged 36 and 35 respectively, have been signed. Together, they boast 16 wins and 23 poles. The reasoning is simple: the new team is more focused on car development and therefore bet on experienced drivers. In terms of recent results, in 2024 Bottas ended the championship without scoring points, while Perez, teammate of champion Max Verstappen, finished 8th. Cadillac has denied any intention of hiring Christian Horner, dismissed by Red Bull, to lead the team.
Red Bull and Racing Bulls, meanwhile, may finalize their driver lineups for next year in the coming weeks. Max will remain with Red Bull. Rumors suggest that IndyCar four-time champion Alex Palou, 28, could be an option to race alongside Verstappen. Isack Hadjar is another alternative. At Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson remains “under observation.”
Alpine, on the other hand, is searching for a replacement for Franco Colapinto. The team sounded out Bottas and Perez, but both were already committed to Cadillac. Current Formula 2 leader Leonardo Fornaroli, a 20-year-old Italian not tied to any F1 junior academy, is highly rated by Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore.
As for the work to equalize engines for 2026, the FIA will introduce the ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) concept in the second half of this year. To avoid disparity, manufacturers lagging behind the most efficient ones will be allowed to use more resources — such as new updates — to ensure better performance.