29/08/2025 07:25
Lewis Hamilton has hailed Zandvoort "a real classic" circuit where
the four-time F1 champion is hoping to repeat his form from Spa if
the weather forecast holds for the weekend. On media day at the
Dutch Grand Prix venue, the coastal track was hit by a huge
downpour that flooded a crucial access tunnel that runs underneath
the main straight and provides access to the paddock. Rain is due
to fall at various stages over the weekend, which can often be
unpredictable due to the tidal conditions of the prevailing North
Sea, but could play into Hamilton's hands if the Belgian Grand Prix
weekend is anything to go by. In the wet conditions that prevailed
at the start of that race, following a delay, Hamilton delivered
some of his best form of the year, making several overtakes from
his lowly 16th on the grid before becoming the first to pit for dry
rubber. That decision allowed Hamilton to further leapfrog up the
field, going on to finish seventh by the chequered flag. As to his
chances this weekend in potentially wet conditions, speaking to the
media, including RacingNews365 , Hamilton said: "This is an amazing
circuit, a real classic. "The racing is not the best in the sense
that it's not that easy to overtake. We only have one short
straight. "But I think the rain will make it more exciting,
definitely much more of a challenge, more of a mix. So I do hope
the car and I gel better this weekend, like we did in Spa."
Hamilton hopeful of fine-tuned components It has been a difficult
year for Hamilton since his high-profile move to Ferrari from
Mercedes, where he won six of his seven titles. The 40-year-old has
yet to finish on the podium in a grand prix, in contrast to
team-mate Charles Leclerc, who has scored five. Recent updates on
the car before the summer break, designed to aid Hamilton's comfort
with it, notably regarding engine braking, have still to yield
their true reward for the Briton. Hamilton, though, is hopeful of
an uptick in performance this weekend. "We have made a lot of
progress, and I think we're slowly starting to progress as a team,"
said Hamilton. "We're going in the right direction. "With the new
components, we've started to fine-tune them. Bit by bit, race by
race, we're extracting more from them, so I'm hoping this weekend,
maybe more."
