McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes: three Formula 1 teams that today, during the free practice sessions at the Dutch Grand Prix, pushed to achieve the maximum, each obtaining different results. It was a day that highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the three teams. Let’s analyze in detail the behavior of the cars, the setups chosen, and how they build their performance.
Red Bull struggles in the corners
Red Bull faced sessions as challenging as Ferrari. The Milton Keynes team had to contend with initial understeer, which seemed partially balanced over the course of the day. The RB21 loses the most in the opening sector. Max Verstappen once again complained that the front end tends to “degrade a lot,” confirming what was noted in our usual preview.
The team anticipated potential front-end issues at Zandvoort, where the corners heavily engage the front axle. Telemetry shows that the Austrian car loses grip fairly evenly across all three sectors—a generalized loss. This could also stem from the tires’ performance, from which they are evidently not extracting maximum grip.
In practice, this means that during the lap, the tires cannot be maintained in the ideal temperature window. Overall, Red Bull constructs its laps in a similar way to Ferrari, though in the middle sector, especially between corners 9 and 10, they manage the car better. There were some additional issues, such as bouncing in the central sector, which Max Verstappen reported struggling with.
All teams try to keep the car very low, but driver complaints indicate that proximity to the reference plane of the car does not deliver the expected advantages. At least for today, the weekend for the former world champion team is in line with expectations. Zandvoort requires less stiffness, and in such conditions, the team struggles to get the RB21 working at its best.
Mercedes quietly impresses at Zandvoort
The German team had a positive day after the first two Dutch free practice sessions. However, some clarifications are necessary to understand the performance of the two W16s at Zandvoort. A stronger Mercedes was expected, capable of improving on recent outings, especially considering the team returned to its old rear suspension setup.
Despite this, the Brackley team exceeded expectations on Orange Friday. The track heavily challenges the front axle, and the German cars managed it brilliantly. The silver arrows’ front end performed very well, allowing the team to find a competitive operating window for the car.
The balance is competitive, and the time lost across all three sectors is very similar. This explains why there are no specific problems to report. McLaren’s strength, as we will see shortly, is largely related to tire usage across the lap. Cooler temperatures also benefited the W16, slightly below the seasonal average, helping Toto Wolff’s team emerge strongly.
McLaren: where Piastri loses to Norris
McLaren remains the benchmark all teams must contend with. However, they are not perfect either. Their greatest strength, which explains the gap they impose on rivals, is the tires and how they are managed. They maintain optimal thermal control on a flying lap, recovering significant performance in corners. As noted in the preview, the circuit characteristics favor McLaren.
The highly engaged front end benefits the MCL39, which produces immense grip. Still, the British car is once again very front-biased, resulting in several snap-oversteer moments, especially at corner 11. There is some oversteer in specific conditions, although traction areas are well-controlled.
Historically, the Dutch track suits Lando Norris’ driving style. Oscar Piastri loses almost a tenth, but over the radio he was informed that corner 9 remains an opportunity he has yet to fully exploit. Potentially, he can improve by another tenth, which would put him ahead of Norris. A tighter internal battle is therefore expected tomorrow.
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