Dutch GP: Five takeaways from the 13th F1 race of the 2021 season

The return of Zandvoort to the Formula 1 calendar could not have gotten off to a better start. The 2021 Dutch GP saw hometown hero Max Verstappen take a dominant win in the 13th race of the 2021 F1 season. The Red Bull driver was rarely challenged, matching title rival Lewis Hamilton at every step. As such, he now retakes the lead in the world driver’s championship – albeit by just 3 points. Yet the race continued the excellent back and forth that has charecterised this championship chase. Both Mercedes and Red Bull gave it their all on the day. In the end, Red Bull’s sheer pace won out.

The race saw a number of excellent little moments littered throughout. With that in mind, here are the five major takeaways from the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix.

Red Bull win Dutch GP on pace and strategy

Verstappen’s race win, in the end, came down simply to the fact that pound for pound, they had the quicker car. Yet that in itself is no guarantee of success. Good strategy can often outpace even the quickest cars. Given Mercedes knew there was a clear pace deficit on a track where overtaking is hard, a good pit strategy was needed.

They chose to go for a two-stop strategy, since the track was tough on their tyres and they expected Red Bull to stick to a normal one-stop. However, Red Bull saw Mercedes’ change in tack and matched them almost instantly. As such, any attempts at an undercut proved futile in the end.

Previously Red Bull have been caught out by such changes – see Hungary 2019 or Spain 2021 for examples. But they have learnt from ther errors. As a result, they seem better prepared for a title run this season. Which cannot be said about their title rivals…

Mercedes driver line-up for 2022 looks even clearer

The big story at Mercedes recently has been the fate of the second seat at the team. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said a decision is done but not yet announced. Although it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where things are headed at this point.

Ever since Kimi Raikkonen announced his retirement, there has been an expectation that Valtteri Bottas will replace him. And while nothing is official as of now, the signs at Netherlands made it clear that Bottas’ time at Mercedes is now coming to a close.

Bottas was brought in for a late tyre change, then instructed not to go for the fastest lap so as to let Hamilton get the extra point. Bottas notched the fastest lap anyway before being reminded of the order and eventually relenting. This little bit of rebellion from the Finn – who has previously followed orders without hesitation – is just another sign that George Russell will be taking up that seat.

Ferrari pip McLaren in ‘best of rest’ battle

The Dutch GP was a good weekend for both Ferraris. Charles Leclerc finished in fifth whereas Carlos Sainz finished in seventh. Their collective 16 points was enough to take them past McLaren in the constructor’s championship and into third place.

Ferrari would not want to be stuck in a battle for ‘best of the rest’ in the coming seasons. However, given their shoddy form in 2020, this season has been one of massive improvement for the Maranello-based side. McLaren, however, have plenty to answer for before the next race.

Both their cars struggled throughout the weekend, with Lando Norris collecting just one point in 10th and Daniel Ricciardo finishing 11th. Perhaps it is just a one-off but they will hope for a rebound at Monza, which would suit their cars far more.

Pierre Gasly continues stellar form with P4 in Dutch GP

Pierre Gasly has been a man on a mission since being demoted from Red Bull to sister team AlphaTauri. The Frenchman’s frustrations at the Red Bull system are well-known but he continues to overachieve in the AlphaTauri. He finished an amazing fourth at Zandvoort having qualified in that position too.

His impressive form might have previously sparked discussions of a Red Bull return, but Sergio Perez will be in the seat for 2022. However, given the impressive form Gasly has shown, it’s hard to believe there will be a lack of suitors for him should he ever choose to leave the Red Bull system.

Trouble continues to brew at Haas

It’s not often that two drivers in the sport’s slowest car have issues but here we are. Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher, both rookies in a struggling Haas, have been at odds quite a bit through the season. Yet at Zandvoort the issues came to a head once again.

It started in Q1 on Saturday, when Mazepin tried overtaking Schumacher on an out-lap but ended up blocking Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin in the process. Mazepin was miffed about that, especially since he believed the agreement was for him to be ahead of Schumacher.

Things didn’t get much better in the race. Mazpin blocked Schumacher, who attempted a passing move back but was very aggressively blocked by Mazepin. After the race, Schumacher ran down his own teammate. Haas team principal Gunther Steiner has come out and said he will sort things out. For his sake, let’s hope this isn’t a feud that drags on for too long.