The Red Bull leader prevailed ahead of Russell and Leclerc at Zandvoort, where Alonso finished sixth and Sainz eighth, the victim of two catastrophic pit-stops.
It was a miniature reissue of Abu Dhabi 2021, that race in which Max Verstappen crowned for the first time. Without the importance of that one, because this World Cup was almost sentenced, but with an almost identical plot, to the delirium of the Dutch fans. The great local idol won in Zandvoort, ahead of George Russell Y charles leclerccombining authority and a certain fortune, strategic aim and pure speed, with a quick tip turn (1:13.652) and moral slap for Lewis Hamiltonwho lost the podium in the final stretch of a relentless race, marked by the late mishaps of yuki tsunoda Y Valtteri Bottas. The disparate luck of the Spaniards materialized in sixth place in Fernando Alonso and the eighth of Carlos Sainz.
The Japanese and the Finn, like stone guests, weighed as much in the resolution as Nicholas Latifi during that unforgettable Sunday last December. The first safety car, decreed on lap 48 after the problems of the deranged AlphaTauri driver, seemed to give victory to Verstappen. The second, due to the breakdown of the Alfa Romeo at the end of the straight, reunited the peloton just 12 laps before the checkered flag. “We’re going to have trouble holding him down,” said Hamilton, then the leader. The omen fell short.
Mercedes did everything on her part, because at this point in the World Cup she is only playing for the first time in the victories box. This was evident from his initial choice with the medium tires, to catch Red Bull and Ferrari in the wrong direction, until the last final strategy with Hamilton, whom he left on the track after the safety car while betting on the trade for Russell.
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Without a wheel for Sainz and one step away from taking Alonso ahead
Without a wheel for Sainz and one step away from taking Alonso ahead
“It was our biggest shit,” lamented the heptacampen, exposed to the onslaught of a bloodthirsty Verstappen. So quickly he wanted to resume the head in the relaunch that he hardly waits to cross the finish line. Sir Lewis must have suffered even greater ridicule, losing the podium to Leclerc. A maneuver encouraged by the passionate Orange Army. More than 105,000 throats roaring for the imminent two-time champion and the misfortune of his hated nemesis.
Ferrari, once again, lost steam until turning Sunday into another replica of what the championship has been. Sainz gave his best in the first corner, containing Hamilton’s attack on the inside, although far from Leclerc’s pace. His longing for the podium lasted just over a quarter of an hour. On lap 15, during his first pit stopFerrari had not even prepared the left rear wheel and Madrid delivered 12.7 seconds in that mess.
Relegated to eleventh position, the rest of the race was a bitter pill for Madrid, penalized by another error by its mechanics. On lap 58 they released him at the wrong time and only Alonso’s braking prevented the accident in full swing. pit lane. Two laps to the checkered flag, Carlos found the courage to maintain his fifth place against sergio prez, whom he sent to the gravel. Despite crossing the finish line in fifth position, the five-second penalty delayed him to eighth place.
devastating regularity
Waiting for what they dropped at the front was Alonso, who can leave Zandvoort more than satisfied, where he started thirteenth and finished sixth, three places ahead of Stephen Ocon. An impeccable Sunday for the Asturian, who had to arm himself with patience for almost 10 laps in the wake of Pierre Gasley before finding his secret weapon: a set of duros with which he gave a recital.
His A522 nailed the clock at 1:16.9 with devastating regularity, harassing Lance Stroll, your next adventure partner in Aston Martin. The safety car triggered by Tsunoda further favored their options, despite the slowness of the Alpine operators (4.3 seconds). He felt very well the car Fernando, who headed towards lando norriswhose questionable defense sent him a few meters into the gravel.
What had started as a containment plan before Guanyu Zhou It ended as an offensive against Prez’s Red Bull, who had just changed the engine, even without penalizing, and offered signs of their courage against Hamilton. Like in Abu Dhabi, by the way.
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