Max Verstappen Clocks his First Laps at the Zandvoort Circuit

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen completed his initial laps around the renovated Zandvoort circuit. The Dutchman completed a few hot laps with the Red Bull RB8 and fans witnessed a complete lap around the iconic track.

Max Verstappen lays down the rubber at Zandvoort

Yesterday, Red Bull posted an onboard video of Max navigating the challenging twists of Zandvoort. However, the part that most fans were curious about is how the F1 cars would handle the newly banked corners. The track features heavily banked turns in the first and final sectors, which were reprofiled for the upcoming Grand Prix.

Despite being a little tentative, the Dutchman faced no difficulties manoeuvring the banked turns in sectors 1 and 3. Additionally, Verstappen kept the throttle pinned in the steep portions of the track and the RB8 obliged. However, the 2020 cars feature a different design than the RB8 from 2012.

Pre-turbo hybrid F1 cars sound incredible but lack the engineering modernity of today. Moreover, with a lot more downforce and superior grip, The RB16 should handle the twists and turns of Zandvoort with incredible ease.

The Dutch Grand Prix will be a sell-out thanks to the Orange Army. Verstappen’s fans fill up the grandstands at nearly every F1 race held in Europe and around the world. They wouldn’t want to miss the lion returning to its den.

One of the biggest talking points of the Dutch Grand Prix is the banked corners of the circuit. The turns were recently resurfaced and F1 will be hoping not to repeat the farce that was the 2005 US Grand Prix.

Furthermore, tyre supplier Pirelli developed special prototype compounds for use in the Zandvoort race. Pirelli insisted that the tyres were merely a backup for the allocated compounds if things go wrong.

Initial impressions of the hot lap suggest the track will be a treat for the drivers. The G forces will challenge drivers’ endurance and concentration over the course of 50 odd laps. From a fans’ perspective, the circuit doesn’t seem to offer too many overtaking opportunities.

I hope I’m wrong about this, but only time will tell.

F1 will go racing in Holland on May 3.