Formula 1’s drivers were raving after their opening day of running at Zandvoort, giving the Dutch track a resounding seal of approval.
On Friday, Formula 1 cars lapped the legendary venue in anger for the first time since 1985, and the enthusiasm was widespread among the sport’s drivers over the thrills and fun produced by the revamped circuit.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton saw his afternoon session abbreviated by an engine issue, but the Mercedes driver who raced at Zandvoort in Formula 3 back in 2005 was ecstatic at the end of the day.
“Ah man, the track is epic!” enthused the Briton. “It’s really fantastic… It brought back so many memories when I first got out there… because I didn’t really remember.
“I knew it was great when I was in Formula 3, but it’s crazy in a Formula 1 car. The speed we’re going through Turn 7, yeesh! It’s a real racing circuit.”
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon also re-acquainted himself with the Dutch track, having competed here in 2016, and qualified his new experience as “pure fun”.
“It was honestly a pure pleasure to drive on this track,” he said; “It’s good fun, the banking but also just the layout in general.
“When I drove in 2016, I had great memories from it, and in Formula 1, it’s even better. It’s pure fun!”
Valtteri Bottas hopes the fans in the grandstands will get as much fun watching as the drivers get driving.
“I hope it’s good fun to watch, as it’s definitely good fun in the car,” said Bottas. “Tomorrow will be fun in the qualifying and even today, I really enjoyed it, those banked corners.
“There’s many nice different corner sections here, especially the speed in Sector 3 through the corners is nice, I enjoyed it. It’s a track with a nice flow – it’s definitely not tricky to find the flow.”
Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was deprived of track time in the opening session following an engine problem, but the German took in the fun in the afternoon, highlighting Zandvoort’s “exciting” banking.
“They didn’t change too much on the track which is good news,” said Vettel. “And the bits they changed, I think they’ve changed for the better.
“It’s very exciting with the banking. It’s not quite clear which line to take yet, but I’ve got a little bit more time tomorrow.”
“We should have more of that, camber corners, positive and not off-camber… I think it looks exciting and it feels exciting as well.”
And finally, local hero Max Verstappen, who has run multiple demo laps at his home track in the past onboard older-spec F1 cars, was simply elated to see his very own orange army out in force in the grandstands.
“It was really enjoyable to see all of them in orange and having fun in the grandstand,” he said. “And of course the track as well, it’s quite a short lap, but a lot of fast corners as well, so it was a fun day.”
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