F1 2022: Holland
This is a race overview that I’ve been looking forward to writing for months. I was lucky enough to be at the race, so it’s more of an overview of my whole experience.
The main shoutout is to F1 Experiences who were our hosts for the weekend. These people really know how to smoothly run an event. Everything from precise pre-event emails with directions to meeting points, to informative tour guides and interviews on the track tour, and amazing seats in one of the grandstands. I was seriously impressed with the customer experience, and would genuinely recommend them if you’re looking for an extra special fan experience at a race.
We arrived in Holland on Thursday and headed straight to Zandvoort for the pit lane walk and guided track tour. It was incredible to experience a lap on a flat-bed truck, particularly with how steep the banking is at some of the corners. We literally had to hold on for dear life! Friday was a chance to see some free practice running of the F1 cars, alongside practice and qualifying sessions for F2, F3, and the Porsche Supercup. The Dutch supermarket Jumbo (a main sponsor of Max Verstappen) run a promotional event on the Friday of the Dutch Grand Prix every year - thousands of tickets are available at 50% off for fans wanting to attend the Friday session only, and the event is dubbed Super Friday. The atmosphere was impressive, grandstands were full, DJs, dancers, and entertainers were keeping the crowd going during the (numerous) red flag stoppages. Friday sessions are notoriously quiet during Grand Prix weekends, so this was a great way of getting fans to come at reduced prices.
Saturday was the usual excitement - sprint races for F2 and F3, a Porsche Supercup race and, of course, FP3 and qualifying for the F1 drivers. There was a lot to play for in F1 qualifying this weekend, with Verstappen looking strong but also being challenged by Ferrari and Mercedes on pace. The top two result in qualifying ended up being the closest contest of the season so far, with Verstappen pipping Leclerc to the line by just 1.85 metres (or the length of one George Russell as Sky Sports reported).
Sunday is always the main events: morning feature races in the support series, and the much-anticipated F1 race in the afternoon. The crowd was electric in the lead-up to the race. 99.9% of fans were rooting for Verstappen, not surprising with the Dutchman on pole at his home race. The amount of orange clothing and flags was not unlike being at Tannadice Park during a home match for Dundee United! I certainly felt at home in that regard.
Verstappen got off to a great start, quickly pulling out quite a substantial advantage on the rest of the pack. It looked to be a straightforward race for the vast majority, until a couple of yellow flags and safety cars shook it up a bit. Hamilton looked to be catching Verstappen, as the Englishman took a risk on the one-stop strategy unlike the rest of his competitors opting for a two-stop. That all changed when an unusual retirement from Tsunoda brought out the safety car, and Hamilton quickly lost out to both Verstappen and his teammate Russell. Had Hamilton moved onto the soft compound tyre during the race incident, he may well have upset the Dutch fans by challenging for the win, but the one-stop strategy ended up costing him at least a podium. At the chequered flag, the grandstands went wild, and the circuit was a sea of noise and orange smoke.
The whole weekend was incredible. If you’re a Max Verstappen fan, this is 100% the race for you!
