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Drivers positively surprised by number of overtaking opportunities at Zandvoort

Drivers positively surprised by number of overtaking opportunities at Zandvoort

05-09-2021 08:56 Last update: 11:20
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GPblog.com

The experts were sure: "You can't overtake at Zandvoort ". After Friday and Saturday, however, the changes to the circuit seem to be working. At least in Formula 3, where the races were anything but a parade.

Jan Lammers and the designers of the renewed Zandvoort had put their hopes on the banking in the Arie Luyendyk corner to enable overtaking in the Tarzan corner. The banking should make it possible to open DRS before the final turn. Unfortunately, that plan didn't work out, but maybe it isn't necessary, as was proven during the second F3 race yesterday. They delivered a spectacular race, including an overtaking manoeuvre for the win.

Eventual winner Victor Martins of MP Motorsport even made up four places during the race. "I don't think we expected to overtake so much or have so many chances in Turn 1. But in the last corner we actually didn't lose that much time when you are close behind someone," he is quoted by Motorsport.com.

Not only thanks to curves

Frederik Vesti, one of the drivers overtaken by Martins, can agree. "I was actually really surprised that we were able to overtake, not easily but it is possible, and especially when you are strong through turn 13 and you have DRS. Something that really surprised me was how close you can follow on this circuit, even in the fast corners you can follow really close compared to other circuits."

The cant in many of these corners probably plays a role here. On the other hand, Formula 3 cars have always done well at the circuit in the dunes. For many years the Marlboro Masters was the stage for the most important F3-race of the year, where drivers from different F3-championships competed against each other.