Although Ferrari looks like Red Bull’s biggest threat at Zandvoort, the race’s strategy and hot spots put Mercedes as Verstappen’s closest suitors.
Lewis Hamilton had looked set for a late-race showdown with Verstappen over their opposing strategies, but a late-race virtual safety car and full safety car, along with a pit stop call, left the British driver helpless to prevent his rival from charging to the restart and fueling to a fourth consecutive victory.
MORE: How Mercedes beat Ferrari to become Verstappen’s 2022 Dutch GP challengers
Hamilton was left frustrated by Mercedes’ strategic call as he faded to fourth at the finish as team-mate George Russell, who pulled up under the safety car, won second ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari had another difficult race due to a late pit stop that delayed Carlos Sainz on his first stop, then he was handed a five-second penalty for a dangerous exit on his final pit stop for falling to eighth place and infuriating him.
There were plenty of other things to talk about, including an unusual situation involving Yuki Tsunoda and his AlphaTauri who stopped twice on the track, in a hectic and intriguing race in Zandvoort.
Matt Kew looks back on the Dutch GP with help from Jess McFadyen and Jake Boxall-Legge, with Luke Smith live from the Netherlands.
You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or through all the good audio platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
