Back on track
Formula 1 returns to the track with one of the most complicated challenges of the calendar, that of Zandvoort. The Dutch Grand Prix takes place on the classic track located near the North Sea, renovated in recent years specifically to be able to host the events of the top car racing competition, a return that took place in 2021 after a 36-year break. The fundamental characteristics have been maintained, starting with the tortuosity (14 curves: four left and ten right in 4.259 kilometers of length) and the limited width of the roadway, but it is the two banked curves (3 and 14, with a slope, respectively of 19 and 18 degrees, greater than that of Indianapolis, just to give a reference) that make this track truly unique in the current world championship calendar.
The banking presents a fairly unusual challenge in Formula 1, both for the drivers and the cars. And the same goes for the tyres, because the higher speeds of the banking corners compared to those without a banking exert even greater forces. It is no coincidence that the three hardest dry compounds in the 2024 range have been confirmed for the Zandvoort event, already used since the 18” tyres were introduced: the C1 as the P Zero White hard, the C2 as the P Zero Yellow medium and the C3 as the P Zero Red soft.
Watch out for degradation (and the weather)
Thermal degradation is a very important factor on paper but much will depend on the weather conditions at the end of August. The Netherlands borders Belgium and we saw before the break how weather conditions at those latitudes can change from one day to the next and even in the space of a single day, making the concept of summer as the season of heat and sun absolutely relative. Average temperatures at Zandvoort in the final part of August fluctuate between 14°C and 20°C, which could help the drivers manage even the softer compounds, as evidenced by the 50 laps completed by Tsunoda on the Soft in last year’s race. A further element of variability is given by the proximity of the circuit to the sea, from which it is separated only by a dune and a road, with the wind often bringing sand onto the asphalt which could limit the grip offered to the tyres.
Last year’s race was characterised by very changeable weather conditions, so much so that all five types of tyres available were used. The most used slick was the Soft, chosen at the start by 19 out of 20 drivers (Hamilton on Medium the only exception). The rain that began to fall immediately after the start made the Cinturato Intermediate the protagonists, then returned to fashion also in the final part, after a long period reserved for slicks in the middle. Three drivers – the two Red Bull drivers and Esteban Ocon – even tried to test the behaviour of the Cinturato Wet. The race saw a very high number of overtaking and a record in terms of pit stops (82).
In stable conditions, the simulations from the day before give the one-stop strategy as the fastest on paper, to be preferred also because, theoretically, overtaking is a rare commodity, both because the track is very narrow and because the straights are few and the overtaking points are very limited. If it were to be hot, then the harder compounds should be the favorites, otherwise the Soft would also come into play for the race.
#Pirelli #tyres #Verstappens #house
