Heineken Dutch Grand Prix
Location: Zandvoort, Netherlands
Course: Circuit Zandvoort
Course Length: 4.26km
Laps: 72
Dutch Grand Prix Race Preview
Formula 1's summer break is over and racing returns at this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix. McLaren and Lando Norris returned to the top of the podium last time out at Hungary to win their first race of the season, continuing the work needed to reel in Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli still leads the driver's standings, but Mercedes endured a series of problems leading up to the extended break, and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton has moved into second position, fifty points behind Antonelli. This return to Holland could give Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing squad a boost, though. The team has been climbing the development curve more slowly than their competition at the front of the grid, but Verstappen is a three-time winner at his home track. An added boost for the former champion is that Zandvoort will not return to the schedule in 2027, marking this week's race perhaps the last time Verstappen may have the opportunity to race and win in Formula 1 on home soil.
Key Stats at Zandvoort
- Races: 35
- Winners from pole: 17
- Winners from top-5 starters: 32
- Winners from top-10 starters: 35
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 204.228 kph
Previous 10 Zandvoort Winners
2025 - Oscar Piastri
2024 - Lando Norris
2023 - Max Verstappen
2022 - Max Verstappen
2021 - Max Verstappen
1985 - Niki Lauda
1984 - Alain Prost
1983 - Rene Arnoux
1982 - Didier Pironi
1981 - Alain Prost
Zandvoort Circuit is a compact, undulating road course on the Dutch coast. Following extensive modernization, the track returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021 for the first time since 1985. It features 14 turns, including several with significant banking, and two DRS zones. Its narrow, twisting layout makes passing difficult, and generally favors the defending driver. The best overtaking opportunities often come under braking into Turns 1 and 11. A strong exit from the banked Turn 14 is critical for setting up a move into Turn 1, while a good exit from Turn 12 is needed to create those opportunities down the main straight. Drivers need a nimble car that can carry speed through the tight corners and accelerate cleanly on exit. Qualifying near the front and leading into Turn 1 provide the biggest advantages, but pit strategy can give cars further back a chance to challenge later in the race. Wet weather could add another variable, making the circuit's banked and technical corners even more difficult to navigate.
RotoWire Formula 1 DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Dutch Grand Prix
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kimi Antonelli - $13,400
Lewis Hamilton - $12,000
Lando Norris - $11,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
George Russell - $10,400
Max Verstappen - $10,000
Oscar Piastri - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Liam Lawson - $6,000
Pierre Gasly - $5,200
Nico Hulkenberg - $5,000
DraftKings Constructor Values
Mercedes - $13,300
Ferrari - $13,000
McLaren - $10,300
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Dutch Grand Prix
Team Captain - Pierre Gasly - $7,800
Lando Norris - $11,000
Liam Lawson - $6,000
Arvid Lindblad - $5,600
Oliver Bearman - $4,400
Constructor - Mercedes - $13,300
As parity between the top contenders continues to tighten this season, choosing just one of them to win each week becomes a difficult prospect. For fantasy rosters, the best way to approach this situation is by leaning more heavily into the team selection. For this reason, the most expensive roster choice for Zandvoort goes to Mercedes. Though the team has been showing signs of weakness in the races leading into the summer break, the time off should help them generate new ideas of how to approach those situations. For this reason, it makes sense to still go with Mercedes as the favorite constructor to win before actually seeing cars on track. We can refine this approach in the races to come if any other constructor shows signs of greater strength.
Even with the selection of Mercedes, there is still enough room to go with at least one of the big-name drivers, and this week it is Lando Norris. His win at Hungary was a statement from the team that they are climbing the learning curve with their new car. They're clearly within reach of podiums and wins, and the question until the end of the season will be if they can continue to keep up the pace of development. Norris is a previous winner at Zandvoort, too.
Given qualifying being an important factor in the outcome of races at Zandvoort, from a captain perspective, Pierre Gasly is a good option. The Alpine driver has an average start of 10.7 so far this season and has moved forward one spot through the same period for an average finish of 9.8. Those values get even better at this track where his average start is 10.0 from five races with an average result of 8.8. Doubling his points as captain could be a wise move this week.
Liam Lawson has also been punching above his weight. He has only finished worse than ninth three times from 11 races this season, and those three times were also the only races in which he failed to match or improve upon his starting position, too. This week, he also takes a step back up to the senior Red Bull team after Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist injury. This weekend could be Lawson's chance to make a statement that he belongs back in one of the top seats in the series. His average Zandvoort finish is 12.5 from two tries, but it looks likely that he will be able to improve upon that this season.
With Isack Hadjar out of action, Arvid Lindblad could play a more prominent role in the team this weekend. Veteran Yuki Tsunoda will step in to fill Hadjar's seat, but Lindblad is the one that has been in the car every race since the start of the season, and going up against a veteran like Tsunoda is a chance for him to impress. Lindblad is currently 11th in points and hasn't finished lower than 10th since Montreal.
Oliver Bearman with Haas should also be a fine selection. He finished sixth in this race last season despite starting 20th. He enters the weekend 13th in points and scored top-10 finishes in four of the first five races this season. With the extra time off to refocus, he and his Haas team will be hoping to reclaim some of that early season success.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Dutch Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 1:00 PM ET Thursday
Race Winner - Lando Norris +330
Podium Finish - Max Verstappen +180
Top-Six Finish - Liam Lawson +225
A victory in Hungary sent Lando Norris into the summer break with a head full of optimism. McLaren has been delivering upgrades and those efforts paid off with more competitive races and ultimately a race win. Given Norris' ability to qualify well, he should stand a good chance of winning this week's race, too. Zandvoort's predominantly medium- to high-speed corners favor drivers that start at the front. Passing opportunities can be rare, and Norris has frequently been battling for the top starting spot on Saturdays. If he can pull it off this week, he might go home Sunday night with a second winner's trophy in tow.
A sentimental choice for a podium finish is Max Verstappen. While Red Bull has not had the pace of its other competitors, Zandvoort could be a spot they spring a surprise. Fresh off of a contract extension, Verstappen, like Norris, has an uncanny knack for extracting the most speed from his car over a single lap. That talent could help him start further up the order at this track more so than some others, which could give him an advantage in grabbing a podium result. Add to the mix that this could be his final home race in Formula 1, and you have a recipe for a potential overperformance.
Given Isack Hadjar's recent run of seven straight finishes of sixth or better, Liam Lawson should have the equipment to keep that streak alive. Even so, Lawson himself has finished ninth or better in six of the last seven races. It is therefore reasonable to expect Lawson, who should have an easier time stepping back into the Red Bull than another driver, to pick up the torch while Hadjar steps aside. Lawson has more experience under his belt this time around, and while switching cars is no small task, he should be well poised to make the most of the opportunity.
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