Max Verstappen praised the alterations to the Zandvoort after becoming the first Formula 1 driver to lap the revised circuit yesterday.
[smr2020test]The Red Bull driver, whose home race will be held at the track in two months’ time, said he was particularly impressed with the banking added to the Hugenholtzbocht (turn three) and Arie Luyendijkbocht (turn 13).
“It was a great opportunity to be the first person to drive an F1 car at the new Zandvoort circuit and the track is really cool,” said Verstappen.
“Especially turn three where the banking is amazing. I didn’t expect the banking to be that big but it’s really cool to drive an F1 car on. The last corner is the same. It’s also pretty banked and with the new cars and DRS open through there it will be a good challenge and a lot of fun.”
Verstappen lapped the circuit in an eight-year-old RB8 chassis on special demonstration tyres. Despite the limitations he was able to gain a good impression of the resurfaced circuit’s high-speed corners.
“The whole track is very demanding,” said Verstappen. “There are a lot of fast corners and still not that much run-off. That makes it really challenging to go on the limit, but that’s good. That’s what we like.
“Does it give me a head start coming here today? Maybe a little. It’s always good to drive a track for the first time and see how it feels and what it’s like. I definitely enjoyed it.”The Dutch Grand Prix will be held on May 3rd. Demand for tickets to the Netherlands’ first F1 race for 35 years has been high.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back here for the grand prix,” said Verstappen. “To have a home grand prix will be even more crazy than usual in terms of support.
“I hope it’s going to be a highlight of the season, but it will all depend on the Sunday result. But we’ll do everything we can to make sure it’s a good one.”
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Pictures: Max Verstappen drives the revised Zandvoort
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Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
5th March 2020, 10:37
Surprised how slow that Honda-logo’d car looked. ;-)
Although the driver’s camera view looks much better when not peering through the Todt Thong.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
5th March 2020, 12:14
That Honda V8 sounds fantastic though :)
Jere (@jerejj)
5th March 2020, 13:29
@spoutnik Renault V8.
MacLeod (@macleod)
5th March 2020, 13:45
no @spoutnik is right Honda look at the name Honda on the car!
They removed the Renault engine straight away for the Honda one …….
oke…… the old engine is still the Renault probaly
Jere (@jerejj)
5th March 2020, 15:14
@macleod Honda never gave V8-engines to Red Bull since they never powered them during the V8-era. The Honda Hybrid-text on the engine cover is the only Honda-related thing on the re-liveried RB7 and RB8-cars used for these types of runs, and other demo runs.
MacLeod (@macleod)
5th March 2020, 23:53
@Jere lol i know it ofcourse they can’t put a Honda engine in but they can rebrand it :)
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
5th March 2020, 14:15
@jerejj ;)
nickthegreek (@nickthegreek)
5th March 2020, 10:38
that’s fair. they did build this just for him after all
Krommenaas (@krommenaas)
5th March 2020, 11:00
The banking is hardly noticeably except in the last corner. I had to rewatch his lap several times for the turn 3 banking and am still not sure, but I think it’s that left hander at 0:20? Maybe the shade makes it look flatter.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
5th March 2020, 11:04
It’s hardly noticable. They should have applied much more banking.
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@kavu)
5th March 2020, 20:27
You must be kidding right? it’s extremely banked and i know this because i have been on the new track with golf club of Zandvoort .. here is a picture i took! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10216006562666343&set=pcb.10216006563066353&type=3&__tn__=HH-R&eid=ARCVxPunfen1lyB41NsACFStgTSDT8WAWJRtxKKU5gVvfULhQiRgH2YzSRuUUfAEtAd3f80Xt19AF4BO
Kasim
6th March 2020, 11:40
WOW, I knew it was steep but this really shows it well.
Unfortunately the cameras strike again as they take away the sense of speed of the cars and also the sense of gradient.. thanks for the picture!
Shimks (@shimks)
6th March 2020, 12:13
Thanks very much for sharing that, @kavu!
KaIIe (@kaiie)
5th March 2020, 11:13
The onboard camera certainly does flatten the image, but it is a steep banking. I guess it is partly ‘hidden’ due to it being a natural (or at least natural-like) bowl instead of looking like it was designed in the middle of a flat area.
thatscienceguy
5th March 2020, 11:15
The banking is twice as steep as Indianapolis. It’s just the camera that makes it look flat.
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@kavu)
5th March 2020, 20:30
It’s real steep banking .. more then 5 meters of height difference from the inside of the road to the outside of the road https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10216006562466338&set=pcb.10216006563066353&type=3&__tn__=HH-R&eid=ARAhpw34vr5XLfuYhcn9ikDoiklmv-61RH12u1S5HMZJJo2dW0Eu8emwGmyzUf7Tl1r4Ac-Yemidp0Ss
Robbie (@robbie)
5th March 2020, 20:46
@kavu Great stuff. Thanks for the shots.
Billys (@bilarxos)
5th March 2020, 21:00
Thanks for the photos.
Joe Pineapples
5th March 2020, 11:23
Video?
Joe Pineapples
5th March 2020, 11:24
nevermind, found it [facepalm]
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
5th March 2020, 12:15
The flow looks great in the onboard video!
And it looks indeed challenging as there is a lot of fast banked corners.
I wonder where they will be able to overtake though :)
MacLeod (@macleod)
5th March 2020, 12:48
I think Max already found several corners to overtake. Myself will see overtake happen in turn 3 and to turn 4 as you can drive several lines there. You notice Max steering as normal but reconished he had room on both sides. I think you should try to keep as high possible when you go into turn 3 so you can leave the corner on the left with higher speed when you follow the normal line.
I think the real drivers are going to love that track.
carbonized
5th March 2020, 14:10
RB must be working overtime entering all kind of new data in the simulator. Every other team should ask for $24 mil. for RB got over the test days limit !
RB13
5th March 2020, 16:59
Aww look at you go.
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@kavu)
5th March 2020, 20:42
@carbonized. .. actually that is nonsense .. every team is allowed to go to Zandvoort and drive 3 laps with an 8 year old F1 car or any other car for that matter (obviously not the 2020 F1 car) if they want to .. it is a free track and they are open right now. Hamilton can go there tomorrow and drive and inspect the track.
MacLeod (@macleod)
5th March 2020, 23:55
And expect some teams doing that just to scout the track.
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
5th March 2020, 14:34
For as much as I do like the current Zandvoort it’s got nothing on the old circuit which is still one of my favorite racetracks of all time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoPwwFKFPxc
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
5th March 2020, 14:47
Have they changed turn 1 because Tarzan looks flatter, more open, not as long & a on the whole a bit less interesting than it used to?
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@kavu)
5th March 2020, 20:46
No they didn’t change the Tarzan corner at all. The only thing they changed is they made a run-off on the right side of the gravel. It is a run-off like a run-off should be because it cost you like 6 or 7 seconds if you make a mistake with braking there!