Leclerc highlights one unique Zandvoort trait when thinking about Dutch GP

08:34, 28 Aug

byTobia Elia

The highly anticipated Dutch Grand Prix, the fifteenth round of the season after the summer break, is just around the corner. Charles Leclerc spoke about his connection to Zandvoort and the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks about the Dutch race.

After a three-week break, Formula 1 is finally ready to resume, with teams and drivers set to take to the track at Zandvoort for what promises to be the penultimate edition of the Dutch Grand Prix, at least in the short term.

There is much anticipation to see the true competitive order, even though McLaren still holds a clear technical advantage. Ferrari, however, demonstrated in Budapest with Charles Leclerc that it can keep pace with Norris and Piastri for a significant portion of the race.

The Monegasque driver, in Max Verstappen’s home country, is seeking redemption after the strange collapse in the final stint of the Budapest race, when he had been on the verge of his first win following his unexpected pole position on Saturday.

Leclerc has never won at the Dutch circuit but has claimed two podiums in the last three editions, the most recent coming just last year.

Charles Leclerc

Leclerc a fan of the Dutch orange army

Several drivers have spoken highly of the Dutch circuit, but what exactly connects Leclerc to Zandvoort?

''At the Dutch Grand Prix, the first thing that comes to my mind is the orange army,'' the Ferrari driver stated.

''It's really nice to see so much passion and to be completely honest, there's always so much respect also for all the teams and all the drivers. And I think that's what we all enjoy at the Dutch Grand Prix, mostly because there's respect as well.''

Hamilton, on the other hand, focused more on the characteristics of the circuit, which he considers unique in the F1 calendar: ''It's got lots of imperfections. I think the undulations really give it a huge amount of character as well.''

''A lot of tracks are built on flats, whereas it's built in a time where they didn't have that technology and it's aged. There's bumps from like things on the ground all over the hills moving so that just creates for me one of the best tracks that we get to race on.''