Preview
Zandvoort Preview: Talking points ahead of Round 4
Two months and a summer break later, the 2024 F1 ACADEMY grid are counting down the hours before they’re back to battle it out in Round 4 at the Circuit Zandvoort.
Abbi Pulling continues her tight grip on the lead of the Drivers’ Standings after taking victory in four out of the six races so far, whilst her Rodin Motorsport squad look to strengthen their position as the team to beat.
Banking on success around the twists and turns of the Dutch track, we take a dive into everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s action.
The battle for P2: Pin vs Chambers
Tied on 81 points, virtually nothing separates Doriane Pin and Chloe Chambers in the Standings. Although the Mercedes driver is currently ahead on countback, courtesy of her Race 1 win in Jeddah, both have one win and a further two podiums a piece — a P2 and P3 finish for Pin and two P3s for Chambers.
Qualifying is where Pin has the measure of Chambers as things stand, with two pole positions to her name. Head-to-head, she’s outqualified the Haas driver on four occasions to Chambers’ two. Despite this, Chambers has shown she can make inroads up the order, earning her a higher average finishing position of 4.16 to Pin’s 4.5.
Undoubtedly, Pin came out of the gates stronger with her impressive showings in Jeddah. However, that has been matched by Chambers’ growth, particularly evident in Barcelona. Who will have the edge in Zandvoort remains to be seen, but both need hefty points hauls if they want to reduce the 66-point deficit to Pulling.
Can Hamda Al Qubaisi alter her narrative with another Dutch domination?
After knocks to her confidence following a challenging opening two rounds, Hamda Al Qubaisi reaches the halfway mark in a much more self-assured and upbeat mood. Her third-place finish in Barcelona Race 2 brought some welcomed silverware to her MP Motorsport team, who were the only outfit without a podium in 2024 up until that point.
READ MORE: Hamda Al Qubaisi ‘catching up’ as she looks to repeat 2023 Zandvoort race wins
Her efforts to build momentum from that are aided by her return to a track that is well-suited to her driving style. The Red Bull Racing driver thrives around more lengthy and technical layouts that require a smoother approach.
Few could get within touching distance of her at Zandvoort last year. Despite still recovering from a broken arm, she took both pole positions and converted them into wins in Races 1 and 3 by 4.9s and 1.9s, respectively. Sitting sixth in the Standings, she knows she’s playing catch up to the leading pack, but can she another put together another supreme performance in the Netherlands and start to change the narrative of her sophomore campaign?
A thrilling three-way fight for the Teams’ title
Thirty points — that’s all that stands between the top three in the Teams’ Standings. With 122 points on the table each weekend, theoretically any of the five teams could lead the way after Round 4.
Rodin Motorsport assumed the top spot after overhauling PREMA Racing after Race 1 in Barcelona on 176 points. The Italian team dropped further back, with Campos Racing demoting the reigning Teams’ Champions to third on 146 points to their 153.
As Pulling fronts Rodin’s charge, Campos’ steady rise is a threat to their lead. The Spanish squad outscored Rodin in Barcelona by 17 points and are the only team to have two drivers inside the top five, with Chambers in third, just ahead of teammate Nerea Martí.
Meanwhile, PREMA will want to turn a page on their checkered results in Spain. Tina Hausmann’s misfortune in Miami was sidelined by two points-scoring appearances, whilst Pin and Maya Weug were not where they wanted to be — with the French racer finishing outside the podium and the Ferrari driver struggling at the tail end of the order. However, Weug’s second home race of the year should give her a much-needed boost in her spirits and hopefully for her, in results.
As things are in the order, Rodin are in the driving seat, but can they steer ahead or will Campos or PREMA have what it takes to overtake them?
Who will reign victorious in the rain?
Although Zandvoort is one of the most complex and physically demanding circuits on the calendar this season, it’s not only the track itself that will throw a few curveballs the grid’s way. Drivers and teams are likely to face their toughest challenge yet — unpredictable weather!
Three days of mixed conditions are forecasted which could see the field complete Practice on a drizzly and windy Friday before they go Qualifying and racing in the wet on Saturday. Then for some added drama, the drivers possibly will experience dry conditions for the first time in Race 2 on Sunday morning.
READ MORE: Pulling: British F4 podium ‘valuable practice’ for Zandvoort return
One-and-a-half days of wet weather running during April’s Zandvoort in-season test will give everyone a valuable baseline to start with. But keep an eye on Bianca Bustamante, Jessica Edgar, Aurelia Nobels, Carrie Schreiner, Pulling and Wild Card entry Nina Gademan who each raced in the wet/dry conditions at Zandvoort in British F4 last month, as the extra mileage could give them an early advantage over their rivals.
Whilst some fans might be basking in the final rays of summer sunshine, Dutch fans won’t be forgetting their raincoats and umbrellas as we warmly welcome them into our paddock this weekend.