In general, Zandvoort, host to this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, has an old-school feel, with fast and flowing corners, a mix of corner speeds, undulations, gravel traps, and banked turns. On this page you will find our big race preview and Dutch Grand Prix betting predictions. It’s definitely a unique challenge for the drivers and puts many aspects of an F1 car to the test.
Zandvoort is also unique in its location, nestled in the rolling dunes and next to the beach on the West coast of the Netherlands. The main straight is the closest part to the coast and the back section winds its way through the dunes
The track doesn’t feature many long straights and a lot of the lap is spent cornering. Due to this, it’s a track with low power sensitivity and engine duty, so the F1 Power Unit has an easier time in the Netherlands than at other tracks, where it is worked harder.
It’s below average for tyre duty and wear, because most of the corner speeds and loads sit in the middle of the road – there are few high-duty turns generating big forces for the tyres. Many sequences are also very flowing rather than stop/start, which puts traction demand into the tyre.
Overtaking is challenging at Zandvoort due to the almost constant sequence of cornering, apart from the main straight (which leads into not a particularly big braking zone) and the back straight (which isn’t very long). This means qualifying performance and pace are vital and make it one of the most important qualifying sessions of the year.
Quick Lap, High Demands
Zandvoort is the third-quickest lap time of the season, behind the Red Bull Ring and Interlagos. The fastest lap of last year’s race weekend was a 1 min 08.885sec.
It is the third-highest track for downforce sensitivity, which means a track where maximum or very high downforce is required. The only two tracks that are higher than Zandvoort are Budapest and Monaco.
Teams experience two very different tarmacs at Zandvoort, which means the tyres behave quite differently on one relative to the other. There’s some new, smoother tarmac laid in 2020, and the rest of the track features an older, more aggressive surface. This makes it tricky to rebalance the car for all corners because the surfaces can be different from one corner to the next.
Turns 13 and 14 make up the final section of the track and the corners are banked 18 degrees – around twice as steep as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And this puts different kinds of forces through the cars and tyres – they’ll be feeling vertical loads here, rather than lateral.
Finally, the pit lane length is just 235 metres in Zandvoort, the shortest of the entire season. However, because of this, it’s an incredibly tight pit lane, and the speed limit is lowered from the usual 80 km/h to 60 km/h.
A Trio of Chances
So, what does all this mean from a betting perspective? We have come up with three F1 bets that might just pay dividends.
Qualifying Winning Margin
Firstly, the qualifying winning margin could be quite small. This is usually the case at tracks where speeds are relatively low and the lap is short. At Monza, Spa, and others the pole setter can be dominant but here …we think not.
Head to bet365 where you can back the qualifying margin to be under 0.10 of a second at 11/8 or take the 15/8 about a margin between 0.10sec and 0.25sec inclusive. Statistically, the second option looks best. No matter what, we do not like the third option which is more than 0.25sec.
Qualification Winning Margin between 0.10 and 0.25 seconds at bet365
Number of Race Leaders
Next up, is the number of race leaders… With the high tyre wear already outlined, it’s probable most drivers will make two pit stops. Under those circumstances, it is easy to see several race leaders as the race unfolds.
Three or more race leaders can be backed at 4/9. It is not an outstanding price but if a driver other than Max Verstappen starts on pole, this one could be a winner by lap 18!
Fastest Lap Betting
Finally, the fastest lap market. Only six drivers are quoted at under 200/1 for this race, so realistically only six drivers have a shot at the fastest lap award. At tracks like this, it is hard for the race leader to have a strategy whereby they can win and take a pit stop late enough to utilise fresh tyres and get the distinction.
In a no-nonsense approach, we suggest simply laying Max Verstappen in the fastest lap market. He is even-money with the best F1 betting sites to get it. But at this circuit and with an overall record of four-from-14, we think he is best opposed on the betting exchanges.
LAY Max Verstappen in the Fastest Lap market at around Evens on Betfair Exchange
Dutch Grand Prix Betting Predictions
- Saturday’s Winning Qualifying Margin – 0.10 – 0..25 seconds – 15/8
- Three or more race leaders – 4/9
- Lay Max Verstappen in the Fastest Lap market around Evens on Betfair exchange
* F1 betting odds correct at the time of writing. Subject to changes.
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