Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix Prediction: Can Max compete against the McLarens on home soil?

The summer break in the Formula 1 World Championship is over. The teams and drivers have arrived in the Dutch Zandvoort, where this weekend, with the 35th edition of the Dutch Grand Prix, the second part of the season will begin. We will be watching with interest whether McLaren will continue its pronounced dominance or whether, in the fight for victory, something will be asked of the local hero and three-time winner of this race, Max Verstappen. This year, the summer vacation passed quite calmly in the world of Formula 1. There was no bombastic news until this Tuesday, when the Cadillac F1 Team officially confirmed the driver lineup with which they will embark on a great adventure in the World Championship. Cadillac's first drivers in Formula 1 will be experienced foxes Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.

Dutch GP

We will not go back too much to the first part of the season. Everything is well known. McLaren took another step forward and established total dominance, crowned by 11 wins in 14 races, including seven doubles. The Constructor's Champion trophy could have already been awarded to the team from Woking, and Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will decide where they will end up as drivers. The Australian enters the second part of the championship with a nine-point lead, but Norris is in slightly better form with three wins in the last four races. Verstappen scored two victories with Red Bull, while Russell achieved one with Mercedes. Ferrari holds second place in the constructors' standings. Although they have not yet managed to win in 2025, the Propeti horses have somehow been the most consistent in collecting points among these teams, which certainly belong to this year's disappointments. Their fans dreamed of fighting for titles, but they only got a fight for second place with a huge gap behind the leaders.

Brown: McLaren will not give team orders at Zandvoort

Oscar Piastri has secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix, with teammate Lando Norris starting from pole position. Another McLaren double in qualifying confirmed the team's dominance, and chief executive Zak Brown was delighted after a brilliant weekend at the Zandvoort circuit. Brown revealed that there will be no specific team orders, but that the drivers will be free to fight: "Let the guys (Piastri and Norris) decide who goes first and who goes second."

Verstappen: We've taken a step forward, I'm focusing on my race

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen finished qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix in third place, in front of the home crowd at Zandvoort. Although it failed to threaten the McLaren drivers, the gap was significantly smaller than expected, giving hope that Red Bull's RB21 could show its true strength during the race. From the first free practice, it was clear that the pole position would be sought by McLaren. That's how it was - Oscar Piastri beat teammate Lando Norris by just 12 thousandths of a second. However, the real attention of the audience was focused on the car with the red unit on the nose. Verstappen managed to get the most out of the upgraded RB21 and set the third time in qualifying, just 0.251 behind Piastri. He was particularly impressive in the third sector, where he broke the lap record and showed that Red Bull can significantly close the gap to McLaren. Although it wasn't enough to challenge for pole position or a place on the front row, Verstappen was pleased with his team's progress. After problems during free practice, qualifying brought a much more optimistic picture.

Piastri: I am surprised by the result

In the qualifications for the Dutch GP, Oscar Piastri won the first starting position on a track where overtaking is not very easy, and he managed to do this despite the fact that practically from the first free practice, he was a little behind his teammate. Piastri drove an excellent lap in his McLaren when it mattered most in Q3 and finished by a minimum of 12 thousandths of a second in front of his teammate Lando Norris, who was in excellent form during the weekend. "I am very surprised and pleased that I was able to achieve this result, but we still know that points are won on Sunday, and you have to be patient and smart when the race starts. There were minor problems during the weekend, but in the end, everything came together in these last laps, and it was enough for the pole position."

Expert Betting Tips

Given such a weather forecast, it is very difficult for teams to plan a strategy for the race. However, for information, at the last Dutch GP, drivers mostly stopped in the pits only once. The proximity to the coast also significantly affects the weather conditions, which can often be very fickle, even in this summer time of the year. This means that we can expect a lot of "strange" and "illogical" tactics from the drivers. Considering the situation in the championship and last year's victory of McLaren, there is no doubt that Norris and Piastri are the main favorites for pole position and victory, but Verstappen used to oppose them on some tracks earlier in the season (Suzuka, Imola...), and he will certainly be additionally inspired in front of his fans.

OUR PREDICTION: Max Verstappen to win