🇳🇱 Formula 1 2021: R13 – Home bankers

September 05, 2021

The title pendulum swung back to Red Bull in Zandvoort as Max Verstappen and his team got into Mercedes’ heads and forced them to make an early pit stop and Lewis Hamilton strategising at 200mph.

It also led to some interesting team dynamics as Mercedes were forced to intervene over the radio to convince Valtteri Bottas that no, you don’t get the extra point for fastest lap at the end of the race. With Bottas’ future looking further and further away from the reigning champions, the Finnish driver could have created a major talking point, but Hamilton eventually took the extra point. 

It was also the first Dutch Grand Prix since 1985 on a much-changed track on the beach, which featured some severely banked corners, giving the Zandvoort track a mix of Portimao’s topography, Suzuka’s speed… and the overtaking difficulty of Monaco. 

But where the Dutch GP had the edge was its fans. Around 70,000 of them packed into the stands to cheer Verstappen on, and they were rewarded for their patience (last year’s race was called off) with a flawless victory. It got me thinking about home grand prix and how racers react. 

The party has started in The Netherlands 🟠🕺💃#DutchGP 🇳🇱 #F1 @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/Wo2adTNw65

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 5, 2021

AND HERE COME THE GRAPHS... 

Nearly three-quarters of the grid have raced at home, with varying results. First off, here’s Verstappen. One race in the Netherlands, one win. Easiest graph I’ve ever made. They’re not all that simple.  

For example, here are the Brits on the grid this year. Lando Norris has improved every year at Silverstone, while George Russell has been finding his feet in the Williams. Lewis Hamilton is on another level. Eight wins, including four in a row from 2014-2018 in a massive show of Silverstone dominance. 

Some drivers thrive in the environment of a home race. He hasn’t had one for a couple of years, but Lance Stroll, after a few retirements and a few finishes outside the points, got his first F1 points at home in Canada, and in a fairly uncompetitive Williams, was a huge deal. It clearly gave him a bit of confidence, as he followed it up with a podium in a crazy Azerbaijan race where he was a few revolutions of a tyre from second.

Then you have your Formula 1 legends. Fernando Alonso has an exceptional grouping early in his career when he won his two world titles. His Spanish win in 2006 was the first of four wins in a row that year. For Sainz, despite switching from Toro Rosso to Ferrari, with stints at Renault and McLaren in between, he has always finished in the points in Barcelona, which is a testament to the driver. As for Vettel, the four-time world champion has won a couple of times at home, but Germany suffers from inconsistent scheduling, but he has taken points on more occasions than he hasn’t.

Then you have your Formula 1 legends. Fernando Alonso has an exceptional grouping early in his career when he won his two world titles. His Spanish win in 2006 was the first of four wins in a row that year. For Sainz, despite switching from Toro Rosso to Ferrari, with stints at Renault and McLaren in between, he has always finished in the points in Barcelona, which is a testament to the driver. As for Vettel, the four-time world champion has won a couple of times at home, but Germany suffers from inconsistent scheduling, but he has taken points on more occasions than he hasn’t. 

Scheduling can play a part too, with Australia often appearing towards the start of the season, often being the opener. Why does this matter? Well, the start of the season can expose issues not found in design, testing or even nerves, as Daniel Ricciardo’s graph shows. Four points finishes, but also four DNFs. With the changes made to the track, 2022 and its new regulations could be the stage of a real shock. 

And if you’re talking nerves and a home race, step forward Charles Leclerc. In his first home race, the then-Sauber driver collided with Brendon Hartley after a mechanical failure. In 2021, Leclerc secured a stunning pole position before a crash in qualifying meant he was unable to start his home race. He’s still yet to pick up any points from Monaco. 

Included are the French drivers Gasly and Ocon, Giovanazzi (Italian) and Perez (Mexican) to show whether a home race matters to drivers. I think it’s still inconclusive, with other factors perhaps being more influential (like whether your car is any good anyway), but for drivers who travel hundreds of thousands of miles on a plane every year, it must be nice to return home and have thousands of friends and compatriots cheer your every move. 

And if you’re a driver without a home race, maybe you can adopt one. Valtteri Bottas and Russia, for example. The Finnish driver took his first win at Sochi 2017, and has finished in the top four six out of seven times. Making a race your home one can be powerful. 

F1 moves on to Italy, which should be a fascinating race, and the return of sprint qualifying. Red Bull have taken their Perez engine swap penalties, as he battled back to secure eighth, so perhaps a fresh engine might see him fighting further towards the front as both championship leaders look to take the fight to one another. 

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