The outstanding World Cup leader will start as the big favorite in his country’s Grand Prix, where his compatriots will support him to a more than likely victory
You can’t say he’s done until he meets the math requirements, but the wind would have to turn a lot if they didn’t take Max Verstappen to his second world title soon. The colossal comeback he made at Spa-Francorchamps allowed him to be 91 points ahead of his teammate, Sergio Perez, demonstrating not only his own superiority, but also that of Red Bull.
Arriving with that cushion of nearly four races left, the Dutch GP discussion makes the perfect opportunity for an early wing. Verstappen can already calculate when he will be declared champion of 2022, with the appointment in Japan being the first in which he could mathematically win the title. Thus, he meets the appointment at home with no more pressure than to put on a good show for the thousands of Dutch fans who will once again turn the Zandvoort stands into an orange flood, showing their pride and affection for their champion.
This weekend’s appointment will also test the patience of the fans. What was seen in Belgium, where the use of DRS led to absurdly easy overtaking, will now be repeated more than possible in the Netherlands, although it makes more sense in this case, as it gives very short circuits very few overtaking opportunities if not through this system. Formula 1 itself has come under much criticism these days because, according to those attacking it, it uses DRS as a kind of technological doping to provoke races with fictitious action.
Many eyes will be on the Scuderia, not so much to see if they are capable of succeeding, but more to see where and how they screw up. Ferrari has entered a chaotic maelstrom that is no less painful for the tifosi as it is expected. The Italian fans watched as Leclerc was punished ‘in extremis’ at Spa for an absurd mistake such as speeding at the final pit stop, which was also not entirely planned.
Charles Leclerc has dropped from second in the standings and that is unacceptable for a team that started as the big contender in the first few races. The Monegask can no longer keep his mouth shut, especially frustrated as he has seen not only his options dilute between his own mistakes and those of the team, but also how Carlos Sainz, who celebrated his birthday this Thursday, has eaten up ground. The 15-point difference between the two drivers of the Italian team is a small limit for the rest of the season, and it will be necessary to see how they manage it from the wall. By sheer probability, they will do it wrong. The precedents for the Scuderia are not too favorable. In 2021 Leclerc finished fifth and Sainz seventh, poor results that cannot be repeated now.
Alonso has lived with disappointments for a long time. At 41 he won’t get mad at his team, his rivals or his own car like he did 15 or 20 years ago if things didn’t go wrong, but that doesn’t mean he accepts what happened in Spa with a smile . Between the contact with a Lewis Hamilton who was stabbed – that Instagram publication with a cap dedicated to “To Fernando” in another example of egomania who later tries to cover his fans with pseudo-messianic messages – and Alpine’s poor strategy, Alonso was left without a more than possible ‘top 4’. Although he already has a streak of nine consecutive races between the points, Alonso wants more. Zandvoort is not a suitable track for its options, although the conditioning factors (such as the difficulty of overtaking without DRS) may play in its favour. Few defenders are better than Alonso on the current grid, so if the Spaniard sticks his elbows out he can bring more than one joy to his fans, who are already thinking more of green than blue.
In his only race here, in an environment that is almost a ‘memory’ for Alonso of his early 2000s in Spain, the Spaniard took a more than optimal sixth place. The aim can only be to improve this position, for which everything has to go more or less flawlessly. Perhaps that is the biggest challenge.
Source: La Verdad
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
