(energetic music)
(engine revving)
- [Max Verstappen] You know, to have a home Grand Prix,
we were all, I think, looking very much forward
to that to happen.
Simply lovely.
Whenever it's possible to race again,
we are all very excited to get it started.
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I hope we can race here soon again,
and I hope you guys are gonna like this video.
- [Announcer] After many, many years,
we're coming back to one of the truly historic venues
for Grand Prix racing.
This is a circuit that was designed by the same man
that was behind Suzuka and also Brands Hatch.
They have the elevation change.
They have camber change.
It attacks the senses of the drivers.
If there was ever a circuit designed for Max Verstappen,
this is it.
- [Max] To be honest,
I don't think about the history of the track too much.
I mean, of course I knew there were F1 races
back in the day, but you know, it looks so different now.
So it's time to make new memories.
(energetic music)
- [Sergio Perez] I think it's definitely a good boost,
to know it's a good feeling, you know, to be racing at home.
And then knowing that you can make so many people happy.
It's something that he's gonna be pumped up for
for the weekend.
Yeah, yeah, looking forward to the circuit.
It's really unique.
- Yeah it's nice to be in Holland.
Nice to see the sunshine again
after three days of rain in Spa.
- I always have to try and do the best I can
in terms of race results.
So it doesn't matter if it's your home Grand Prix or not.
I'm just gonna try to enjoy the whole weekend,
you know, with all the fans around.
- [Crowd] Max! Max!
- I mean, it's difficult to say for myself
what goes through their minds,
but I'm sure they've been looking forward to this
Grand Prix for a while, just as me.
And yeah, I just hope, you know,
everyone will just have a great weekend
and a weekend they won't forget.
I've had a few crazy moments where,
there was a guy who, you know,
he tattooed all the victories on his back,
I think at the time was five or six.
So I don't want to see his back right now.
(Max laughing)
Hi guys.
We go on to the track there?
- [Sergio] I think it's gonna be a very unique experience.
I'm sure they're gonna be supporting the whole team.
And yeah, I'm just looking forward to enjoy this weekend.
- And this, it looks good though,
with the grandstands.
- Yeah, it's gonna be mental.
- They're so close here.
- Just standing like, here, and they're like,
"Checo!Checo!"
(Sergio laughing)
I was like it was crazy
- Oh this was a dune before they just completely
- The paddock up at turn one it was also like
- It can all scratch the car
- Yeah
- Like it's so close
- [Sergio] I think he's going to be
a very unique experience.
I'm sure they're going to be supporting the whole team.
Yeah. I'm just looking forward to, to enjoy this weekend.
- I hope of course the track will suit us,
but at the moment, it's a bit early
to really know where we are because
it's new for every single team.
I mean, of course I was born in Belgium.
I always lived in Belgium,
spend a lot of time in Belgium for school,
but at the end of the day,
my friends and where we had our workshop and stuff
was in Holland
so yeah naturally I have a little bit
more of a connection with that.
- [Interviewer] Cheesy chips or Dutch waffles?
- [Max] Dutch waffles
(instrumental Dutch national anthem)
- [Tim Hoekstra] We're making beach artwork
for Max Verstappen for the Formula One this year.
It's I think it's, we're making history again.
It's been quite a while since there was
a Formula One here in Zandvoort
so we made an ode to Max Verstappen
and we hope he is going to win.
Well, I think it's an iconic picture
where he is making the pose
because he's winning a lot this year. So yeah,
it's really a powerful shot and I hope it works for him so
he can make the number one he in Zandvoort after 36 years
in the morning at four o'clock, we started at five o'clock,
we started with the grid and then we have to work for like
six hours to make it, to finish it.
(lively music)
(fans cheering)
(energetic music)
- Only ups today yeah
- [Announcer] Any words for Max?
- Oh, you did great
- I think in general, you know,
Dutch people like to follow
a certain driver or a team, you know,
they always got the full force
- Hey Max good luck, good luck this Sunday
Let's get this win.
- [Max] To finally have a home Grand Prix for sure
people they won't want to miss out on that.
I mean, of course it's always very nice
to have a lot of fans around to support you,
you know, it gives you a lot of motivation,
you know, to, to do well.
- Yeah, definitely you know,
racing at home is something very unique,
very special and I look forward to race at the,
my home Grand Prix as well.
I don't know what to expect,
but I I'm kind of expecting that the fans
are going to be pretty pumped up, up for it and
I just look forward to, to enjoy it,
and I really hope that we can
give them a tremendous result.
I think that the whole track in itself
has some very unique places
very unique corners so yeah looking forward to it massively.
(air gun changing tire)
- Yeah cool thanks
- Yes thanks
- My favorite experience from here,
I think sector two, especially in the Formula 1 car
has so many fast corners that it's really enjoyable.
And now of course,
with the new dimension in sector one and three
with the bank corners, I think, you know,
that's going to add up to really, you know,
really cool sector too.
Firstly, I don't,
I don't think there will be a lot of opportunities for
overtaking, so it will be more enjoyable, you know,
just on Saturday in qualifying,
once you go to the low fuel
(engine revving)
My favorite part of this track,
I think is the fast right down the straight black
I think in an F1 car but in any car it's a bit blind
when you enter and then, you know,
to try and be close to flat out is,
is always very enjoyable.
- [ Christian] I think he, you know,
he obviously knows the track pretty well from driving here,
different cars in the past, although not racing here.
So yeah, he's, I think he's enjoying the circuit.
It's a big challenge. It's a old school circuit
so yeah, you can see he's having fun.
- [David Coulthard] Being a home race
does definitely add another dimension
and other pressure.
Some drivers are really lifted and boosted,
but I also remember being in tears of frustration
because I wanted so badly to have a good qualifying
or to have a good race.
And you know, sometimes it doesn't work out.
(crowd cheering)
Max is pretty cool character and he's very good at
deflecting any, any sort of pressures away,
but I have to believe he's still a young man,
he's very proud of his Dutch roots
I have to believe there's an
increased pressure at this event.
I think qualifying is going to be
vitally important on this racetrack.
I think that anywhere on the front row you'll have an
opportunity to win the Grand Prix.
- [Max] I do think qualifying will be very important here,
you know, it's going to be difficult to pass I think
so the further up you, you are on the grid,
you know, the better it is.
- Track is clear ahead.
- [Max] How is it looking?
- It's looking good Max
(cheering)
- That is pole position mate,
pole position home Grand Prix
- [Max] (laughing) Yes guys unbelievable what a,
what a great car today it was unbelievable
it was just right, thank you so much
(crowd cheering)
- We're here for one reason
and that's because of the popularity it Max Verstappen
and it's been the most amazing, you know,
reception and atmosphere so, so yeah,
it's great to be on the pole
and hopefully we can put a good show on tomorrow.
- Max got the first part done well done. Great job.
- Yeah let's finish that tomorrow, the second part
That's an amazing feeling of course
to get pole position here
(crowd cheering)
the crowd is incredible
and today was very enjoyable I mean,
the car was really nice.
(crowd cheering)
People always you know think
when you have a home Grand Prix
there is more pressure on you,
but actually I think is very enjoyable. It's very nice.
You know, it's, I'm not sitting in the car like, oh,
and now I have to deliver,
I think in F1 you always have to deliver.
So for me from that side, it doesn't really change
but when you cross the line and you just see people
having the time of their life on the grandstand,
it's just amazing to see.
(upbeat music)
- Congratulations Max
- Thank you
(energetic music)
- [Christian] I think the atmosphere has been insane so far.
You know the weekend has been like being
in a nightclub for three days or some kind of rave,
the reaction from the fans and particularly to Max,
you know, he is the home hero and it's great for them to,
to be cheering him every time he goes past.
(upbeat music)
- [Announcer] I think circuit wise
it's a circuit that will definitely suit
Max Verstappen as a driver.
The big question of course, is,
is that going to work in harmony
with the engineering chassis package,
we've seen that red bull have been the only team that have
been able to take the battle to Mercedes
over the course of the season
and it remains to be seen who will be
the victor at the end of it,
but I think if there's any, any justice,
then the winner will be Max and his loyal sea of orange
Dutch fans will be able to celebrate Sunday night.
(energetic music)
- [Announcer] I hope you enjoy coming back
to Zandvoort after thirty six years,
I mean, it's been a very long time.
I think nobody actually expected it to ever come back
(crowd cheering)
We are quite a small country,
but we have really big following for athletes.
It is nice that so many people
actually come and, and support you.
It definitely motivates me to do very well.
- It's incredible to be here.
It's an honor to close the party tonight after the race,
and it's the first time the race
is in Holland in like 35 years.
So I mean, yeah the atmosphere here is incredible,
you know, you can see the, I mean,
even the weeks before the race, everybody,
the only thing they talk about all is the race
and about Max, if he's going to win or not,
and everybody's super stoked.
- [Interviewer] Are you feeling the energy
from the orange army?
- Absolutely. Yeah.
You can hear them the whole time already,
so it's incredible.
- [Christian] I think it's going to be a tough race.
It's going to be tight between the two teams.
Strategy is vital.
Getting a start is, is, is critical here
because it's very hard to, to overtake or follow,
so that's going to be really important for us
I think, you know the most important thing
is look after the task manage the pace,
if you've got clean air at the front of the field,
that makes life a lot easier
so priority one is to get to the,
to the first corner first
and then try and manage the race from there
(upbeat music)
(racing noises)
(clapping)
- [Christian] Keep this pace up Max this is major.
You've got great pace, great pace
(upbeat music)
That was a really, really mature drive
(cheering)
Well done mate, that was epic, that was epic
you've won your home race, enjoy the podium.
(cheering)
- [Max] Nice pushing 72 laps here, I love it,
great job guys.
(cheering and upbeat music)
- Where's the air horn?
(cheering and upbeat music)
(loud cheer)
(cheering and upbeat music)
- Our life we here on earth is temporary
and like our art is also temporary
and tomorrow we have a new canvas
this what nature brings us
and there will be a new story, a new beginning,
so tomorrow there's a new canvas,
we can start again tomorrow.