Dutch GP 2024: Weather forecast promises trouble as F1 drivers expect ‘crazy atmosphere’

After a relaxing summer break, F1 is set for what could be one of the biggest race weekends of the year. After failing to win the last four races, the Dutch GP is a redemptive home race for Max Verstappen. The statistic that this race is the reigning world champion's 200th F1 race only increases the stakes. It's all or nothing for the Dutchman, with McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari ready to pounce should he falter.

Overall, Verstappen also expects Lando Norris to put up a close fight for the 2024 championship, despite the McLaren driver being 78 points behind. The results of the Dutch GP will set the tone for the second half of 2024, but there is one surprise. It won't be an easy weekend, with the heavens expected to open at Zandvoort.

Weather forecast for the Dutch GP: Rain returns and makes the race in Zandvoort more exciting

Zandvoort is a difficult track to excel on. With steep corner inclines (18 degrees at the end) and a rich history of the old-school circuit, it is a nightmare paradise for any driver. “Fast, wild and unforgiving” This is how the track is described on the McLaren website. The difficulty level is already set to “world class” and if it rains, ultimate chaos is guaranteed.

This is what the weather looks like for the GP weekend in the Netherlands:

Friday, August 23: Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2

The weather on the day of free practice will provide a pleasant welcome for all teams and drivers. According to the Williams F1 forecast, it will drizzle throughout the day at Zandvoort before easing off in the evening. Other weather models contradict this, with the chance of rain increasing slightly as the day progresses. But the bottom line is that it will rain and temperatures will rise to 22 degrees Celsius.

Southwesterly winds blow at a speed of 40 to 55 km/h, occasionally exceeding 65 km/h. In the evening the winds decrease and reach speeds of only between 25 and 40 km/h. Humidity is high, between 75% and 81%.

Saturday, August 24: Free Practice 3 and Qualifying

On the big qualifying day, the probability of rain increases to 65%. More rain is expected in the third free practice session than in qualifying. The southwest wind loses strength and drops to 15 to 30 km/h over the course of the day. The humidity remains similar at around 75%.

Sunday, August 25: Race day

The intermediate tyres that help drivers on wet tracks may be able to take a break at the Dutch GP. After two days of rain, race day will be mostly sunny, with winds blowing from the west at a similar speed to Saturday. Humidity will drop slightly but remain high at 64%.

Now that you know what to expect from Mother Nature, let's take a look at what the race track has to offer drivers.

The “epic” Zandvoort – Why F1 drivers love the Dutch old-school race track

Zandvoort is one of the oldest circuits on the calendar, having been held there since 1952 when the third F1 championship was held there. Although the track was celebrated in its early years, the 1970s cast a dark shadow over it. Fatal accidents in 1970 and 1973 destroyed the track's reputation. Although calm returned in the following decade, the Dutch GP lost its place on the calendar in 1985 when the company that managed the track went out of business.

In 2021, the Dutch GP finally returned to F1 after a 35-year hiatus. Safety precautions were massively increased and all the drivers who raced at Zandvoort for the first time in their F1 careers found it exciting. “Oh man, this track is epic,” said Lewis Hamilton. “It's really amazing. When I first drove here, so many memories came back to me because I already knew from Formula 3 that it was great. But in a Formula 1 car, it's crazy. The speed we go through Turn 7 is a real race track.” he added.

His then Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas “enjoyed” the unique, banked curves. But the hilly track also brought some physical challenges, as Sergio Perez explained. “It was quite a challenge, including the long run, physically it was quite tough because you have so many right-hand bends in a row. It's quite a unique challenge, very different to the tracks we've been on before.” said the Red Bull driver.

The then AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly, like Bottas, was amazed by the steep curves. “On TV, all the corners are always smaller and when you're in the car, it's even more impressive. Turn 3 in particular is pretty crazy. It's like sliding into a sled or something like that, but in an F1 car at that speed, it's pretty unique.” Even Carlos Sainz was surprised by the curves he “never experienced before.”

In addition, the pit lane at the Dutch GP is relatively short, which adds to the challenge. Teams have to be more careful when releasing their drivers after a pit stop and drivers have to be more aware of the other cars in case of a team error.

Now that we have looked at the weather forecast and what the drivers love about the track, let's look at what the drivers expect from the 2024 Dutch GP.

Dutch GP 2024: Drivers and teams’ expectations for the rollercoaster weekend

Let's start with Haas, which enters the second half of 2024 in its best form since entering F1 in 2016. Team boss Ayao Komatsu can't help but get caught up in the Orange Army's enthusiasm. “The atmosphere in Zandvoort is unique,” he says. “It's actually more like a football stadium than a Formula 1 event, especially before the race on the starting grid with the music and the Orange Army.”

Nico Hülkenberg, who has driven many races at Zandvoort in his junior career, hopes to create more good memories but is cautious about the “tricky” overtaking maneuvers. Kevin Magnussen, like Komatsu, is also quite excited. “There is a crazy atmosphere at the Dutch Grand Prix with the Orange Army making up around 99 percent of the fans there.”

VCARB, Haas' main rival for P6 in the Constructors' Championship, is betting big on the Dutch GP. This is Daniel Ricciardo's only race in which he can impress Red Bull bosses, as September is the deadline to announce the future of reserve driver Liam Lawson. Red Bull itself, however, is in shaky waters. Helmut Marko does not expect any improvement to the “unbalanced” RB20 at Zandvoort. Although Max Verstappen will easily tame his car, Sergio Perez could suffer more. The Mexican driver has the most to lose, although his place at Red Bull is secure for the rest of 2024.

With two wins from three races before the summer break, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will be looking to capitalise on the momentum. If the seven-time champion takes his third win of 2024 at the Dutch GP, he will also overtake Verstappen in career win percentage – Hamilton's 30.35% would rise to 30.54% and Verstappen's would fall from 30.65% to 30.5%.

His future team, Ferrari, is bringing a major upgrade package with a revised underbody for the SF24. This could put them back in the fight for consistent podium finishes if the “bouncing” problem is fixed. McLaren, on the other hand, has been on a winning streak since Lando Norris' victory at the Miami GP. The Briton also has fond memories of his F3 days here. “I also drove in Formula 3 at Zandvoort in 2017 and I have to honestly say that I think it is one of the coolest race tracks: physically demanding, but really entertaining,” he says before the Dutch GP.

With all drivers fit again after the summer break, Zandvoort promises to deliver an absolute thriller. There couldn't be a better place for F1 to kick off the second half of 2024.