2023-08-28 10:52:16
Max Verstappen has achieved his third consecutive victory in the Dutch GP, equaling the record for the maximum number of wins in a single season, held by Sebastian Vettel since 2013 also behind the wheel of a Red Bull.
Today’s was the 46th success in the Dutchman’s career, who has also accumulated his 90th presence on a podium in the highest category.
MARIO ISOLA, MANAGER OF PIRELLI MOTORSPORT
“The race has been spectacular, with various weather changes that have made life difficult for the teams when deciding which tire to choose and when to stop.
From a strictly technical point of view, to the remarkable color that it provides to see the five compounds in action, I would like to underline two aspects: on the one hand, and as expected as the weekend progressed, cooler temperatures have favored the Use of Soft tires, clearly the best on dry and also suitable in wet conditions, as the pilots who have decided to continue on the track when it started to rain have proven.
The least favorable compound was the Hard one, although Russell’s long stint, which would have reached the checkered flag had the rain not returned, showed that this tire could also adapt to these conditions. The second aspect to highlight concerns the Intermediate, which for one more race has shown competitiveness both with little and with a large amount of water on the asphalt.
“Finally, there are several people I would like to congratulate: Max Verstappen, for his ninth consecutive victory. The Dutchman put on a great show for his fans in Zandvoort, whose enthusiasm remains contagious despite the bad weather.
To Fernando Alonso for his return to the podium, as we were getting used to at the start of the season, and at some point even challenging Verstappen for the victory, and to Pierre Gasly, who has achieved a great result”.
THE NETHERLANDS GP FROM A TIRE POINT OF VIEW
The rain has been the conditioning factor of the race. All the riders started on dry tyres, Hamilton on the Medium and almost all the others on the Soft. However, the water made an appearance on the opening lap, forcing almost the entire peloton to stop to ride intermediates.
Of course, some brave ones –the two Williams, Hulkenberg, Bottas and Piastri– have risked it and have continued on the track, betting that the rain would not last long. In fact, after ten laps, the track was once again ready for slicks and by lap 12 everyone was back on this type of tyre.
In such cold conditions, the Soft was clearly the best compound and everyone used it for as long as possible, proof that Tsunoda completed 50 laps in one set and Albon 44. Only one driver, George Russell, has ridden the Tough, and he might have finished the race with a C1 set if the rain hadn’t turned up once more in the final stretch.
The precipitation has increased in intensity, which has forced all the riders to go through the pits and, in some cases, equip a set of wingers. Zhou’s accident promptly raised the red flag, leaving it to be resolved which tires would have performed best in these conditions. After the restart, the Intermediate was revealed as the ideal option despite the large amount of water on the asphalt and at temperatures of only 20ºC.
NEXT GP: ITALY (September 1-3)
Monza will host, next weekend, the Formula 1 Gran Premio d’Italia 2023. The compounds chosen for this race will be C3, C4 and C5, which will once again feature in the Alternative Tire Assignment format in qualifying, same as in Hungary. Pirelli will be the title sponsor of the test, a company that has its headquarters just a few kilometers from the track, in the Bicocca district, Milan.
1693226428
#Max #Verstappens #record #registers #maximum #number #wins #single #season