© Getty ImagesTop Five Moments From ZandvoortWell that was a race we'll never forget! Here are our favourite moments from the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix.
HowgreatwastheDutchGrandPrix?Muchlikelastyearitwasaweekend-longpartywithgreatfans,greatatmosphereandagreatracetotopitalloff.Itwashardtonarrowitdowntojustfive,buthereareourfavouritemoments…
We always knew that the support for Max was going to be epic this weekend, but he had to share the adoration with Checo and the rest of the Team as the amazing crowd were cheering on everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing.
After the COVID-hit 2021 race, the grandstands were packed with a sea of orange and blue, and with 305,000 fans on site over the weekend, it was a record-breaking turnout for the Dutch Grand Prix. And you’re not alone if you can’t get the ‘Super Max’ song out of your head.
What An Incredi-bull Crowd© Getty Images
TakingFullAdvantageOfTheFreshTyres
After the Safety Car was deployed due to Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo stopping on the start/finish straight. Max entered the pits for a set of soft tyres and when he returned to the track he was behind Lewis who was leading but on older, medium tyres. When the Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 60, Max chose his moment perfectly, as he often does. The Mercedes driver tried to pull away through the final corner but even without the benefit of DRS, Max, with better pace from his soft tyres, powered past the Mercedes on the pit straight to take the lead once more. Where he stayed until the chequered flag.
Fresh Tyres Of Zandvoort© Getty Images
The win in Zandvoort made it four in a row for mighty Max – and they haven’t all been easy. He climbed from P10 when he won in Hungary, and up from 14th when he took the win in Spa. So, to claim the last four wins is pretty epic by anyone’s standards. With seven races still to go, Max has already claimed 10 wins, the same total he collected in his 2021 World Championship-winning season. So, it’s anyone’s guess how many more he’s going to take this season!
How Many More Times Will We Be Hanging Over Pit Wall This Season?© Getty Images
StrategyTeamNailingItAgain
With the race disrupted by two Safety Car stints, one virtual and one physical, the strategy team was put into overtime to work out how to ensure Max finished the race in P1. Towards the end of the race Max looked to be slowing on his hard tyres with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell chasing him down. But as always, the Team kept a cool head as the Safety Car was deployed and the strategy team chose their moment to get Max in and on a set of three-lap old soft tyres. He returned out in P2, but knew full well, after the Safety Car had returned to the pits, he was only a few corners away from taking the lead again. Perfect calls from the strategy team.
Legends Of The Pit Wall© Getty Images
It’s not unusual for a driver to have a one-off helmet design for their home race and Max’s lid for this year’s Dutch Grand Prix was special in more ways than one.
For this race Max was inspired by his father Jos’ design he used to wear in the 1990s. Jos’ lid was white with red and blue stripes. It also has Jos’ logo on the back of the helmet.
Max said he wanted to honour his dad because he wanted to show his appreciation for all the help Jos has given Max getting him to the World Championship title.
Watch the unveiling video here.
A Special Helmet For A Special Race© Getty Images
