Another challenging weekend for Ferrari in Formula 1, this time in the Dutch Grand Prix. A race weekend where, in theory, Frédéric Vasseur and the Ferrari team had aimed to fight for victory and achieve a strong result, but once again—just like after the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this season—the Prancing Horse left the Zandvoort circuit completely empty-handed with a double zero in terms of points. Lewis Hamilton made a costly mistake that destroyed car number 44, while car number 16, driven by Charles Leclerc, was taken out of the race due to Kimi Antonelli’s slightly overambitious and overly optimistic maneuver.
Red Bull tried, but McLaren proved too strong
For the race start and the opening stint, the majority of the Formula 1 grid opted to run on Medium compound tires. On a dry track, the Medium tires offered a clear advantage, allowing drivers to extend their first stint longer than if they had started on a softer compound. On a circuit like Zandvoort, where overtaking opportunities are notoriously limited and extremely challenging, this strategy was without doubt the most effective choice to manage race pace and tire life. This was the case even though both Pirelli, the official tire supplier, and the FIA had worked extensively to create conditions that would encourage drivers to execute a two-stop strategy.
Red Bull, however, decided to implement a slightly different approach, choosing to start on Soft tires. The reasoning behind this strategic choice was rooted in the forecasted weather conditions, which predicted a few light rain showers around the opening laps of the Grand Prix. If a short burst of rain had occurred, starting on the Medium tires and having a Soft option would have balanced out the strategies between teams. However, the expected rain never materialized, leaving Red Bull’s initial gamble less effective than planned.
Max Verstappen managed to gain a position at the start thanks to the extra initial grip provided by the Soft tires. Nevertheless, he quickly lost that advantage as the red-banded Soft tires began to degrade at a faster rate compared to the yellow-banded Medium tires. The moment Max Verstappen began struggling with his tire degradation was evident on live television, clearly visible to viewers as his lap times started to drop. Lando Norris executed a clean overtaking maneuver in turn 1, a move that was no coincidence given the McLaren driver’s consistent pace and the performance advantage of his car in that sector.
Throughout the weekend, McLaren had consistently dominated that specific section of the track, giving Lando Norris a clear advantage in lateral grip over nearly all other competitors. Even through turns 2 and 3, the Red Bull RB21 was noticeably slower. This presented a challenge that Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 World Champion, had to endure across the full 300-kilometer race distance, regardless of tire choices or overall strategic decisions made by the Red Bull team.
Ferrari’s race management under pressure
Behind the leading cars, both Ferrari cars started the race on Medium tires. Around lap 15, Lewis Hamilton began to struggle with rear tire overheating, a sign that the Medium tires were starting to lose optimal performance. To manage the problem and prevent further degradation, the Ferrari team instructed Lewis Hamilton to reduce his speed through turn 8, which had been identified by the engineers as the critical point where the car was experiencing the most difficulty and was particularly vulnerable to tire stress.
By lap 21, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion communicated over the radio that his tire degradation was occurring much faster than expected. This represented a critical situation that required immediate and precise management to prevent a complete collapse in performance. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc was asked to perform lift-and-coast maneuvers, specifically easing off the throttle approximately 50 meters before the braking points at both turns 7 and 1.
The radio instructions were somewhat ambiguous, as no explicit command or detailed timing was provided. It appears that these measures were primarily related to safety concerns regarding the thermal load on the power unit 066/15. Additionally, the Ferrari engineers suggested various differential adjustments to reduce understeer at the apex of critical corners, a topic that had been widely discussed throughout the previous practice sessions and qualifying rounds earlier in the weekend.
Ferrari hit by simultaneous misfortune
On lap 22, Charles Leclerc was the first among the leading drivers to pit for Hard tires, following a strategy designed to counter Isack Hadjar’s movements. The Monegasque driver could have theoretically extended his stint by a few laps, but the tactical choice to pit at that moment was primarily aimed at avoiding traffic from the Racing Bulls car. Immediately after Charles Leclerc’s pit stop, Lewis Hamilton unfortunately suffered a significant accident, crashing into the wall at turn 3. This incident triggered a Safety Car deployment, allowing competitors to pit without losing significant track position—a scenario that dramatically reshaped the race.
The deployment of the Safety Car essentially reset the race, as every team was able to fit the Hard tires under safety car conditions without compromising their strategy. Max Verstappen, however, was the only driver who chose not to switch to the white-banded Hard Pirelli tires, instead retaining the Medium tires he still had available after starting on Soft. The Dutchman reported a lack of mechanical grip at lower speeds, but thanks to the softer compound, he was able to manage tire wear and maintain competitive lap times.
Within this context, Charles Leclerc lost position to George Russell but successfully reclaimed it with a classic and highly skilled overtake that demonstrated his experience and racecraft. However, the contact during this maneuver resulted in damage to George Russell’s car, causing a 0.45% loss in aerodynamic balance. This issue prompted the Brackley team to adjust positions strategically, placing Kimi Antonelli ahead of George Russell to protect their competitive position and minimize further losses.
Charles Leclerc and the pit stop call
For Charles Leclerc, catching Isack Hadjar on track was an impossible task. The Racing Bulls driver maintained a consistent pace and successfully kept the Ferrari driver at a distance throughout the stint. On lap 52, Mercedes decided to attempt a strategic gamble with Kimi Antonelli, calling him into the pits to fit his last set of Soft tires. Initially, Charles Leclerc was informed of the team’s plan and immediately responded, indicating that he did not want to pit, hoping to counter Mercedes’ strategic intentions by remaining on track for a few additional laps.
The Ferrari driver was determined to see how the situation would unfold by continuing on track, aiming to capitalize on any potential mistakes by rivals. However, Ferrari’s team management deemed it necessary to cover Kimi Antonelli’s pit stop to safeguard the team’s strategic options. Consequently, Charles Leclerc was instructed to pit, effectively imposing the team’s decision despite the driver’s initial preference. With only a limited number of laps remaining to the finish line, Ferrari believed that Kimi Antonelli would have an opportunity to make his move in the closing stages of the race.
To neutralize Mercedes’ tactical advantage, Ferrari called Charles Leclerc in for a pit stop, and everything could have proceeded without issue if not for Kimi Antonelli’s overly ambitious and risky move on track. Upon exiting the pits at turn 3, the resulting incident was a direct consequence of the Italian driver’s excessive optimism. The entire situation left Ferrari with a deeply frustrating and bitter outcome, ultimately preventing the Maranello-based team from securing even a single championship point during the race weekend at Zandvoort.
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