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Painful Friday for Verstappen

Max Versappen’s Red Bull, towed. / afp

Netherlands GP

Mercedes and Ferrari share free practice with mechanical problems for the Dutchman from the start

The thousands of fans who packed the stands of the Dutch circuit of Zandvoort did not expect to end the day without seeing their idol at the top. Max Verstappen started the day with a problem that they did not expect. The gearbox transmission of his Red Bull left him stranded and with a smoke that is never good news behind him. After looking bleak and giving his mechanics extra work, the world champion got down to work to try to make sure his party weekend didn’t turn into a disaster.

When the cat has problems, the mice have a party, which for Formula 1 purposes means smiles at Ferrari… and Mercedes. The silver arrows that gave such a bad feeling at the beginning of the year have recovered the pulse with Ferrari to the point that the minimum objective of being seconds has become a challenge. Not in vain, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton sent in the morning session to stay close in the afternoon, in which the seven-time champion rolled in the same tenth as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who start as the first alternatives to the Red Bull.

Although everything indicates that the great dominators so far arrive with difficulties at the orange party that is going to be organized throughout the weekend in the Netherlands, no one should forget what happened in Spa-Francorchamps. And nobody does: Verstappen’s comeback still resonates in the minds of fans and the drivers themselves, who fear that the mechanical problems of the local idol and firm leader of the championship are another prelude to what is to come for Saturday and the Sunday: another heroic comeback. Nobody considers Verstappen dead, much less on a Friday free practice without much history beyond some irrelevant track exit.

After a decent Belgian GP, ​​reaching an antagonistic circuit such as Zandvoort was a challenge for teams in the upper-middle zone, such as Alpine. Although both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon scored, they feared that they were not going to be up to the task at this track, although for the time being those dark clouds have ruled them out.

The best of the two was in both sessions this Friday Alonso. The Spanish driver ended the day in a decent seventh place, ahead of Verstappen with the aforementioned problems, and an Ocon who suffered more than expected. Although the Spaniard was the best he doesn’t want to get complacent, as he has already seen too many times this year that his chances could go down the drain at any moment. The first sensations are, however, sweet.

“It was a decent Friday for us. It is a very different circuit to the one we experienced last weekend in Spa. It’s a fun place to drive Formula 1 cars, it’s like a roller coaster with all the bumps. The car feels good so far and I think we have seen a lot of evolution on the track as the track was very dusty in the morning. We are going to evaluate everything, but we are satisfied with our progress so far, ”said the Spaniard briefly.

Alpine consumes the disaster

They had less desire to talk in Alpine. Moments before these free sessions, the decision of the Contract Recognition Committee was confirmed, that sort of arbitration body that establishes who is right in the event of duplication of a pilot’s contracts. The fight between McLaren and Alpine to take Oscar Piastri turned out, as many expected, in favor of the British: the Australian, a Renault youth squad since he was a child, will make the leap to Formula 1 in 2023 as a partner of Lando Norris, who by first time he will have a partner younger than him.

Alpine, and Otmar Szafnauer personifying him, have consummated the disaster. Barely a month and a half ago they had on their payroll an established driver with potential like Esteban Ocon, an experienced and hungry two-time world champion like Fernando Alonso and a budding diamond like Oscar Piastri in the chamber pushing the door. Now they only have the first and, in addition, he is not capable of overcoming the Spanish, who, seeing the percale, moved before anyone else to flee in the direction of Aston Martin for next year. The lousy management of the case in Alpine leaves many portrayed, with Szafnauer in the lead, and leaves a good example of what has happened in the Anglo-French squad in recent months.

It remains to be seen who is, finally, Alonso’s replacement. Names like Pierre Gasly or Daniel Ricciardo (who is the victim of Piastri’s arrival at McLaren) are on the table, but seen what has been seen, nobody dares to predict that Alpine will hit the mark with the firm.

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