Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Zandvoort, demonstration run, 2020

Verstappen impressed with Zandvoort after getting “head start” on new track

2020 Dutch Grand Prix

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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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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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29 comments on “Verstappen impressed with Zandvoort after getting “head start” on new track”

  1. 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.

    1. That Honda V8 sounds fantastic though :)

        1. 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

          1. @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.

          2. @Jere lol i know it ofcourse they can’t put a Honda engine in but they can rebrand it :)

  2. that’s fair. they did build this just for him after all

  3. 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.

    1. It’s hardly noticable. They should have applied much more banking.

      1. 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

        1. 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!

        2. Thanks very much for sharing that, @kavu!

    2. 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.

    3. thatscienceguy
      5th March 2020, 11:15

      The banking is twice as steep as Indianapolis. It’s just the camera that makes it look flat.

      1. @kavu Great stuff. Thanks for the shots.

      2. Thanks for the photos.

  4. Joe Pineapples
    5th March 2020, 11:23

    Video?

  5. Joe Pineapples
    5th March 2020, 11:24

    nevermind, found it [facepalm]

  6. 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 :)

    1. 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.

  7. 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 !

    1. Aww look at you go.

    2. @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.

      1. And expect some teams doing that just to scout the track.

  8. 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

    1. 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?

      1. 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!

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