After a one-month hiatus, the wait is over as the second part of the 2023 Formula 1 season starts with a quick stop in Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix.
Most, if not all, eyes are going to be on Max Verstappen since this is his home race and because of his superb form. 12 races in, and he has won 10 of them, so he’s running away with the title yet again with only a few more races left.
Because of Verstappen’s dominance, some race fans have focused more on the ongoing “silly season”, which has picked up steam prior to the break.
Today, we’re going to talk about it here at SBOTOP as we look ahead to yet another fun race weekend.
Verstappen closing in on yet another milestone
Max Verstappen arrives on home soil on the verge of achieving another record. Should he win again this weekend, he will be level with Sebastian Vettel’s all-time record of nine consecutive wins.
Another victory here would move Verstappen closer to his own Formula 1 record of 15 wins from last season and onto 46 overall. The 25-year-old is already fifth in the all-time wins list, and he can pass the likes of Alain Prost (51) and Sebastian Vettel (53) this year.
His team, Red Bull, have already broken the all-time record for most consecutive wins by a team, recently surpassing McLaren’s previous run of 11 from 1988, and they’re pushing to extend their run to 13 wins on the bounce. Their ongoing streak dates back to last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“Honestly, I don’t think we really think about it too much,” said Verstappen when asked about Red Bull’s chances of extending their win streak. “We just want to look ahead and try to always bring the best possible car to the track.”
“Just try to keep on doing the same thing, which would be nice. Of course we want to win here, there’s no secret about that. Zandvoort is one of my favourite places to be, and to win is always very special here,” he added.
Guanyu, among others, fight for job security
Because the “silly season” is now on, much of the recent Formula 1 talk has been about who will fill the seats in the 2024 campaign.
Haas have already decided to retain Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, while teams such as Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri, and even Mercedes will have big decisions to make in the next few months.
Zhou Guanyu is currently in talks with Alfa Romeo for a potential extension beyond this season. He didn’t have the easiest start to his Formula 1 career, but he put his critics to rest, especially during the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he qualified fifth, his best result so far.
Meanwhile, Williams Racing are reportedly expected to replace Logan Sargeant. He has yet to grab points so far this year, with his 11th-place finish in Silverstone being his best result. If he somehow has positive Dutch Grand Prix 2023 results this weekend, that would certainly help his case.
And then there’s Lewis Hamilton, who has yet to sign his extension at Mercedes. It’s been a frustrating campaign by their lofty standards so far, but team principal Toto Wolff has already expressed his desire to keep the seven-time champion in their ranks for a couple more years.
History
The Dutch Grand Prix is one of the oldest races on the Formula 1 calendar. It was first held in 1952 and continued until 1985, but it had a 36-year hiatus because the Zandvoort Circuit underwent a lot of changes.
Since its comeback in 2021, Max Verstappen has taken pole position and won each race, making him the ninth repeat winner of this track in Formula 1 history.
The late Jim Clark holds the record for the most wins on this track with four, including a three-peat from 1963 to 1965, while Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda have three wins each.
What are the odds?
Well, wouldn’t you know it? The Dutch Grand Prix 2023 odds expect Max Verstappen to have a great time this weekend. In the qualifiers, Verstappen is priced at 1.45, compared to 2.58 for any other driver. And in the actual race itself, he is priced to win at 1.25 compared to 3.32 against any other driver.
Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton are poised to take the other podium spots at 1.37 and 1.52, respectively, while Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris are not to be overlooked with prices of 1.91 and 2.07.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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