With a peremptory and perfect race from the first to the last lap, Max Verstappen triumphs in front of the tide oranje in Zandvoort and back to the top of the standings. Beaten Lewis Hamilton, despite Mercedes tried to do everything – looking in vain for the help of Valtteri Bottas – to put the Dutchman of Red Bull in difficulty. Brackley’s team played hard with strategies, but failed to be perfect either in timing or in pit stop procedures.
The seven-time world champion managed at least to snatch the fastest lap in the last lap thanks to an improvised pit stop at the end of the race. Mercedes has decided to recall Bottas with three laps to go for a vibration on his tires, recommending to lift his foot on the finish line so as not to take away the best time already in the hands of Lewis. The order was carried out but not correctly, with the Finn who lowered his teammate’s record by a couple of tenths.
In addition to the spectacle given by the top three, we must applaud the AlphaTauri for Pierre Gasly’s fourth place. The Frenchman was the first of the ‘others’, easily preceding the first Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Great final duel – all Spanish – between Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, with the Alpine rider from Asturias who managed to pass the Ferrari driver on the last lap after having risked crashing into turn 3.
Nice comeback for Sergio Perez, despite his race seemed even more compromised – after the start from the pit lane – due to a deep flattening in the first laps in an attempt to overtake Mazepin. The Mexican anticipated the first pit stop a lot, but managed to get back to the sound of decisive overtakes up to eighth place, even preceding Esteban Ocon in the final. Positive also the race of Lando Norris, tenth and in front of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo after starting from 13th place.
On the other hand, a bitter disappointment for Antonio Giovinazzi, only 15th due to a puncture a few laps after his first pit stop. The Apulian was the protagonist of a heated fight in the first corners with Sainz and Alonso, then losing three positions after having first risked before going out once alongside the Ferrari and then rear-ending the Alpine.
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F1 | Dutch GP 2021, order of arrival
Pos | Pilot | Team | Turns | Detachment | Points |
1 | Max Verstappen | RED BULL RACING HONDA | 72 | 1: 30: 05.395 | 25 |
2 | Lewis Hamilton | MERCEDES | 72 | + 20.932s | 19 |
3 | Valtteri Bottas | MERCEDES | 72 | + 56.460s | 15 |
4 | Pierre Gasly | ALPHATAURI HONDA | 71 | +1 lap | 12 |
5 | Charles Leclerc | FERRARI | 71 | +1 lap | 10 |
6 | Fernando Alonso | ALPINE RENAULT | 71 | +1 lap | 8 |
7 | Carlos Sainz | FERRARI | 71 | +1 lap | 6 |
8 | Sergio Perez | RED BULL RACING HONDA | 71 | +1 lap | 4 |
9 | Esteban Ocon | ALPINE RENAULT | 71 | +1 lap | 2 |
10 | Lando Norris | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 71 | +1 lap | 1 |
11 | Daniel Ricciardo | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 71 | +1 lap | 0 |
12 | Lance Stroll | ASTON MARTIN MERCEDES | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
13 | Sebastian Vettel | ASTON MARTIN MERCEDES | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
14 | Antonio Giovinazzi | ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
15 | Robert Kubica | ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
16 | Nicholas Latifi | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 70 | +2 laps | 0 |
17 | George Russell | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 69 | DNF | 0 |
18 | Mick Schumacher | HAAS FERRARI | 69 | +3 laps | 0 |
NC | Yuki Tsunoda | ALPHATAURI HONDA | 48 | DNF | 0 |
NC | Nikita Mazepin | HAAS FERRARI | 41 | DNF | 0 |
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