Dutch Grand Prix 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull) on pole ahead of Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) for 38 thousandths – Eurosport FR

The first part of the contract is fulfilled. Max Verstappen has responded to the expectations of all his fans – they are 70,000 this weekend – by signing the pole position of his national Grand Prix in Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, which returns to a Formula 1 event for the first time. since 1985.

Dominating during the last training session on Saturday, impressive in Q2, the Dutchman nevertheless snatched his 10th career leading position – his seventh of the season – after a session tighter than expected, due to a small quack at the end of his turn. In first position with a time of 1’08 “923, a 0” 299 margin over Valtteri Bottas and 0 “345 over his rival for the title, Lewis Hamilton,” Mad Max “kept his good narrowly.

Author of a final improvement in 1’08 “885 under the checkered flag, Max Verstappen curiously did not open his DRS in the final straight line. And the blow came close: he only kept his property for 0 “038 against Lewis Hamilton, who snatched a place in the front row by blowing second place to his Finnish teammate.

Almost impossible overruns

“It didn’t work properly and it cost him 0” 1 “, confirmed Christian Horner, team director of Red Bull Racing, at the microphone of Canal +.

Very calm since the start of the weekend in the face of the challenge and the fervor of the public, Max Verstappen has positioned himself ideally to seek victory on his soil, a victory that would put him at the forefront of the Championship. world, ahead of his rival Lewis Hamilton. Indeed, this head of the grid is even as important as in Monaco because the Batavian toboggan connects on a narrow track an anthology of short straight lines and tight turns on cant which make overtaking as difficult as in the Principality.

Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) eliminated in Q3 because he was beaten by a few seconds by the clock when starting his turn, Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) is therefore the second best qualifier of the Red Bull teams. Fourth after a good part of driving as he has been offering since Friday, the Frenchman completes the second row alongside Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), and enjoys the luxury of getting ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, well recovered from his crash in the free practice 3.

The rest of this top 6, however, is less conventional. To deserve a little more the contract extension at Alfa Romeo which looms in 2022, Antonio Giovinazzi released his best lap of the season, which earned him to read “P7”. A feat all the more appreciated within the team managed by Fred Vasseur that Kimi Räikkönen, positive for Covid, left his seat to the substitute Robert Kubica (18th) on Saturday morning.

Norris trapped by Latifi and Vettel by the Haas

After soaring in free practice, Fernando Alonso lost for 8th place against Esteban Ocon, for 0 “023.

While Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) was the last guest to Q3, the disappointed in the second part of the standings are George Russell (Williams), Lando Norris (McLaren) and Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin). But the first named, who stayed at the door of Q3 with his eleventh time, knows the reason: he hit hard in Q2, just like his teammate Nicholas Latifi, who indirectly prevented Lando Norris (McLaren) from attempting the turn of the last chance because the session then did not resume.

As for Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), he was summoned to race management after the session in the company of Haas’ enemy brothers, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, who hampered him from the start of his last assault against the clock. .