F1 information: A title battle kicks off the key storylines on the F1 Dutch Grand Prix

42 factors.

As Formulation 1 returns from its summer time shutdown for this week’s Dutch Grand Prix, simply 42 factors separate Purple Bull from McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship standings. Buoyed by a quick race automobile and a pair of quick drivers, McLaren constructed off their sturdy end to the 2023 marketing campaign to place the remainder of the F1 world on discover over the primary half of the 2024 season.

However can they really catch Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez, and Purple Bull?

Given the present type of the 2 groups, it definitely appears like they will. In spite of everything, McLaren has outscored each group — together with Purple Bull — over the eight races because the Miami Grand Prix, when Lando Norris broke via together with his maiden F1 victory.

There may be additionally purpose to consider that McLaren could possibly be even higher down the stretch. Miami marked the primary actual improve bundle the group has rolled out this yr, and in latest days Crew Principal Andrea Stella famous that they are going to be bringing extra upgrades because the season winds down. In fact, they should work for McLaren to point out much more enchancment, but when they do …

Nonetheless, the remainder of the pack is not going to simply sit idly by. Mercedes has their very own declare to the title of “the most popular group in Formulation 1,” given the actual fact they’ve gained three of the final 4 Grands Prix, and have been in line for a one-two end on the Belgian Grand Prix till George Russell’s disqualification.

Which promoted Lewis Hamilton to the victory.

Over at Ferrari, they have been inside simply 24 factors of Purple Bull following Charles Leclerc’s long-awaited win on the Monaco Grand Prix. Whereas they’ve pale since then — witnessing McLaren overtake them for second within the Constructors’ Championship standings as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. mixed for simply two podiums since Monaco — if they will get a deal with of the SF-24, they may nonetheless be a presence down the stretch.

Then, after all, there may be Purple Bull.

Verstappen stays Verstappen, and the Dutch driver is in line for his fourth straight Drivers’ Championship as he at present holds a lead of 78 factors over Lando Norris. However on the Constructors’ aspect of issues, Purple Bull is below some stress. Maybe this season can greatest be summed up by the outcomes at Silverstone. Purple Bull acquired so many technique calls proper with Verstappen because the situations modified all through that race, and but he solely completed second, to Hamilton.

This yr even when they’re excellent, it won’t be sufficient for Purple Bull.

With simply ten races remaining, this Constructors’ battle could possibly be one for the ages, and all of it will get underway this weekend on the Dutch Grand Prix.

Listed here are another main storylines to trace this week.

What occurs within the driver market?

4 seats. A handful of frontrunners together with numerous choices, and an entire lot of hypothesis remaining.

Such is the standing of the F1 driver market as that sport of musical chairs winds down. Solely 4 spots stay for the 2025 season: A seat at Visa Money App RB F1 Crew, the seat Lewis Hamilton is vacating at Mercedes, a spot at Alpine, and a spot at Sauber alongside Nico Hülkenberg.

Will any information be introduced forward of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix? Will outcomes over the following few races, together with this weekend, affect a choice at VCARB?

Earlier this summer time we made our predictions right here at SB Nation for the way the remainder of the driving force market will shake out. Briefly, we consider Mercedes will decide Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the younger phenom at present driving in F2. We consider Jack Doohan will get the nod at Alpine, whereas Valtteri Bottas will get to maintain his present seat at Sauber. Over at VCARB, we gave the nod to Liam Lawson in what is perhaps the hardest name to make relating to these final 4 seats.

We’d begin seeing if these predictions have been proper this week …

The battle for sixth

The battle on the sharp finish of the grid would be the battle that captures the eye of the F1 world over these subsequent few months.

However that isn’t the one battle value watching, in addition to writing about.

An interesting battle is shaping up between Visa Money App RB F1 Crew and Haas for sixth, and that battle has tightened in latest weeks. Due to this graphic from Formula1Points you possibly can see how this race has tightened:

When the F1 tripleheader started mid-summer VCARB loved a 28-7 benefit over Haas within the Constructors’ Championship standings, because of an eighth-place end (and the corresponding 4 factors from that consequence) from Daniel Ricciardo on the Canadian Grand Prix.

Nevertheless, whereas each groups have been shut out on the Spanish Grand Prix, a pair of P6 outcomes from Nico Hülkenberg at each Purple Bull Ring and Silverstone banked 16 large factors for Haas. Whereas Yuki Tsunoda acquired VCARB on the board on the British Grand Prix with a tenth-place end, and Ricciardo added two extra factors in Austria, these outcomes noticed Haas trim the margin to 31-27.

VCARB put a ways between the 2 during the last two races earlier than the summer time shutdown, as Tsunoda delivered a ninth-place consequence to financial institution two factors in Hungary, and his tenth-place consequence at Spa added one other essential level. Because the groups come out of the shutdown the hole is now 34-27.

However Haas is set to catch their rivals.

“ the place we are actually, we’re seven factors behind P6 – RB – so now we have to go for making an attempt to get P6 within the championship,” mentioned Haas Crew Principal Ayao Komatso just lately. “That’s our goal for the remainder of the season.

“Straight after shutdown, in Zandvoort, see if we will carry out and get again to scoring factors once more. Budapest was powerful and Spa was powerful – we’re trying into why we couldn’t carry out in these two races. It’s too late to affect the event, as a result of growth for the remainder of the season is completed now. However simply by way of how we set the automobile up on the monitor, how we go about managing tyres, and many others, any studying we will take from Budapest and Spa can be helpful. So it’s actually a steady course of, however our sporting goal can be making an attempt to battle for P6 within the championship.”

The battle on the entrance will seize the majority of the headlines, however don’t sleep on this battle for sixth.

Will the climate play a job?

Picture by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto through Getty Photos

Climate was a significant factor final yr on the Dutch Grand Prix, because the rain started in wet situations which prompted many drivers to duck in for intermediates. The rain eased through the center of the race, however late showers noticed a purple flag come out after a Zhou Guanyu crash, stopping the race for round 45 minutes. Verstappen survived a slippery restart to say yet one more win, however the climate was a significant factor.

Will or not it’s once more this yr?

In the meanwhile it appears as if the race can be dry, however moist situations could possibly be a function on Saturday. In line with this climate report, scattered showers are anticipated Saturday, throughout each FP3 in addition to qualifying.

So that’s one thing else to observe for this week.

Can Sauber get on the board?

The final time an F1 group was points-less on the break? That got here again in 2021 when Haas reached the summer time shutdown level of the yr with out both Nikita Mazepin or Mick Schumacher scoring a single level.

Sadly for Haas, they ended the yr in the identical style, as neither driver was capable of crack the highest ten in any respect that season.

That was 2021. Now? Sauber is dealing with that very same state of affairs. Nevertheless, whereas each Mazepin and Schumacher have been rookies that yr, Sauber has two skilled drivers in Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Gunayu.

And nonetheless, not a single level to point out for his or her efforts thus far.

Their greatest consequence? A P11 from Zhou on the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Since then, the season has been “difficult,” as outlined by Valtteri Bottas just lately.

“It’s been a difficult yr for us,” mentioned Bottas to the official F1 channel. “We nonetheless haven’t scored a single level which wasn’t the goal going into the season. We needed to see an upwards trajectory from final yr, and it hasn’t occurred.

“We began the season with not that straightforward a automobile to arrange, and even on the pure tempo, we weren’t fairly there. We’ve made some enchancment since, however extra like child steps as an alternative of massive jumps, not like another groups round us.”

Bottas sounded happy together with his effort thus far this season, noting “[b]ut yeah, with my efficiency, I’ve been blissful, and my job for the rest of the season stays to extract every part I can off the bundle each single weekend. That’s my job.”

Nevertheless, there may be one factor lacking: A sooner race automobile.

Wanting that? Maybe a “miracle” in keeping with Bottas. “In the meanwhile we nonetheless want form of a miracle to occur to get into the highest ten,” added Bottas.

Can they ship that sooner race automobile — or maybe that miracle — this weekend?

The return of F1 Academy

Picture by Pauline Ballet – Formulation 1/Formulation 1 through Getty Photos

The top of the summer time shutdown implies that F1 automobiles will quickly be again on monitor. However that isn’t the one return taking place this week. F1 Academy, having final raced on the Spanish Grand Prix, is again in motion at Zandvoort this week.

In the meanwhile Alpine driver Abbi Pulling leads the Championship with 147 factors, forward of Doriane Pin and Chloe Chambers, who each have 81 factors on the season. Whereas Pin captured the primary race of the season, Pulling then ripped off 4 straight victories to vault to the highest of the Championship standings.

But it surely was Chambers who broke via along with her maiden win within the second race in Barcelona final trip, a victory that goes into the report books as the primary win for the MoneyGram Haas F1 Crew.

As F1 roars again into motion this week, don’t miss any of the F1 Academy motion. The primary race is slated for Saturday, with the second race set for Sunday. F1 Academy qualifying takes place on Saturday.