Alonso, magic and podium in the chaos of the Netherlands and Verstappen wins at home

It’s crazy. The best race of the season. The best in a long time. The rain turned everything around, coming out strong at the start, and with 8 laps to go, a downpour was so heavy that it was forced to stop due to a red flag. It continues with 7 breathtaking final turns. At that time, Verstappen was leading against an Alonso who was 2nd after a great run where he once again showed his immense quality. He couldn’t miss that wonderful podium against Pérez (3rd) and Gasly (4th). And it didn’t. He squeezed past Verstappen at the last start, dreamed big, eventually finishing 2nd behind the Dutchman, equaling Vettel’s record of 9 consecutive F1 victories. Gasly was third, ahead of Pérez (4th) and Carlos Sainz (5th), who ran with a Ferrari not for that Top-5.

FINAL RESULTS OF F1 NETHERLANDS GP 2023

CLASSIFICATION OF F1 WORLD CUP 2023

Fernando Alonso smiles after qualifying. It’s a mischievous smile, knowing that this Sunday he has a good chance to return to the podium. It highlighted how well the new components brought to Zandvoort by Aston Martin, for which the team had very high hopes. They were quickly made in July, a month with up to 4 races. The Silverstone factory worked against the clock. The goal is to return to the podium. It is in Fernando’s hands to achieve this. And at the wheel of his Aston Martin, he accomplished the mission. Fernando has the license to overtake with a weapon with bullets again after the previous complicated races. And the Asturian did not miss it. Max Verstappen won in front of his home crowd, at his home GP, ahead of a massive Alonso. Fernando Alonso is at it again with a superb third position. It was Alonso’s 7th podium so far this year, the first after 4 races away from him. The fifth time is the charm.

Alonso again had a great car and the man from Oviedo used magic to do his thing in movie overtaking to win the movie podium, key to the green team’s confidence between now and the end of the year and, more than all, to ensure that the team is back on track for the creation of the 2024 car.

Alonso, fantastic start

Fernando warned on Saturday that he will do so and it is important to set a good start. Most importantly, get rid of Alex Albon quickly so Norris isn’t let go. He did it like a charm with a fit of madness. At the start of the race, the clouds, as if also paying attention to the traffic lights, began to spray water on the Zandvoort track. It was a very delicate moment. With visor drops, pilots need to be careful. It’s very easy to make a mistake and throw all the effort away at the weekend. Especially in Turn 3, which has a bank of 19 degrees, more than double the Indianapolis oval.

Over the weekend, there were many pilots who suffered at that point due to a lack of grip on acceleration, inclines and climbs. crazy And precisely there, in a place where no one wants to do something crazy, is where Fernando put more courage, faith, and above all, he saw something that no one else saw. After defending his position from Sainz in Turn 1, Fernando was the only one in front who suddenly changed lanes on the descent of Turn 3 to the inside, off the natural line. That genius move allowed him to bow for Albon and Russell. Two positions in a row to get 3rd. But it’s not over yet. On the next lap, chasing Norris, he did the same to the Brit who stuck to his tire and passed him. Excellent.

Fernando Alonso was placed 2nd, although he knew that Pérez would have to arrive sooner or later with his Red Bull. But at that moment, the rain increased. The rain was so heavy that Pérez stopped in his first turn. And the stop dance began. Alonso stopped in round 2 and this kept him from the podium, fighting for 5th place with Leclerc, who also pulled off a spectacular overtake. When almost everyone, except a daring Albon, had put in the intermission, the rain stopped and they had to go back to put on the dry rubber. Aston Martin reacted quickly and Alonso returned to the track 4th on the soft rubber and soon passed Zhou to return to 3rd.

Verstappen, who was delayed by rain and led at the expense of Pérez, recovered again, stopping in front of the Mexican to put the softer. The rain fell, but it also disappeared quickly. So, Max leading before Pérez (2nd) and Alonso (3rd), the race was solid. Fernando held off Gasly (4th) with his pace, along with Carlos Sainz (5th). And at the theoretical last stop, another difficulty came for Fernando. A bad stop, of 8.3 seconds, due to a problem with the left front tire, dropped Alonso to 4th place. Sainz took the position from him and Gasly, due to a 5-second penalty, could not take advantage of that mistake. Fernando, with tires 7 laps younger than Sainz, the two-time champion came soon and passed the man from Madrid at turn 1.

Red flag: last 7 laps

But there is still an element of suspense left for the end of the race. Heavy rain is expected for the end of the event. In the last 10 laps a very heavy rain could fall which could change everything. Alonso knew this, pushed to continue increasing his advantage should he need it. Carlos couldn’t stop a Gasly with tires younger than 5 laps. Rain was already appearing on the beach, and it reached the circuit with 11 laps to go. The intermission dance has begun. Pérez expected to stop, but his mechanic’s tires were not ready. I wasted a lot of time. Alonso didn’t stop, neither did Max. Yes, Carlos Sainz. Change the movie again. It’s crazy. Alonso stopped on the following lap, along with Max. He returned to third position, unable to take advantage of Pérez’s mistake in the pits to move into second place.

Despite the madness in the pits, in the middle of a real downpour, the top position was maintained with Verstappen (1st), Pérez (2nd), Alonso (3rd), Gasly (4th) and Sainz (5th), with Hamilton which is the 6th. And Ocon took the risk of putting tires in heavy rain. With 9 laps to go, the rain poured down and the first to suffer was Pérez, who went out on the gravel. He gave up the second position to Alonso after one lap. It’s raining very hard. On the side of the red flag. There could be a lot of trouble. And then Verstappen chose to put on the heavy rain rubber. Nothing to see at all. And what was predicted happened: an accident. Zhou fought against the odds. The direction of the race is marked by the red flag. The race stopped. Pérez was caught in the pit lane, now closed. He had to return to the pits the wrong way, which gave him a 5 second penalty, though. If the appointment is relaunched, he will start 3rd because that is his position in the previous lap taken as reference.

Last up to 7 laps

The race was finally defined at 7 laps. A spectacular final battle with no let-up, no control, just attacking hard, a non-stop battle on the wet asphalt. An atrocity. What every F1 fan wants to see. Verstappen had to defend himself against Alonso, knowing he had more options in the wet than in the dry. Two of the best drivers in history, face to face. The young two-time champion, against the endless veteran who is also a two-time Asturian champion.

The race continued with a start that was launched after the withdrawal of the ‘Safety Car’ due to how wet the asphalt was, with the obligation for everyone to mount the intermediate tire. Fernando Alonso stuck with Verstappen. The Dutchman had already seen the man from Oviedo in his rear-view mirror. Fernando is looking for the impossible. The long-awaited victory 33, at the home of Max Verstappen, a driver with his Red Bull seems incomparable. But Fernando returned to F1 to make the impossible possible. To dream big. To enjoy days like this Sunday again like before. Alonso was very close, pressing an infallible Max to cause a possible mistake from the current king. However, Max begins to use his car’s superior efficiency to get away.

Alonso happened to look at Max, to see Pérez, with a 5 second penalty, just behind. But it’s too late. The second place belongs to Fernando. Unbelievable.