Ferrari pair eye split strategies to maximise their threat to Verstappen · RaceFans

In order to bring the historic Zandvoort circuit up to the high standards demanded to be able to revive the Dutch Grand Prix, millions of Euros worth of renovations were required to transform the track’s infrastructure, pit lane, grandstands and more.

But after qualifying for the second grand prix to be held around the revised venue, Charles Leclerc could be forgiven for cursing the circuit’s operators for not shortening the track’s layout by 80 metres. Because it was only over that short distance at the end of the 4.259 kilometre lap that Max Verstappen dipped beneath the Ferrari driver’s lap time as the pair sprinted to the chequered flag at the end of Q3.

Verstappen’s second home pole position in as many attempts was a remarkable turnaround for Red Bull after he missed most of first practice and ended Friday nearly seven-tenths of a second slower than his Ferrari rival. But it was also just as much a missed opportunity for Leclerc, who had been at least a quarter of a second faster than Verstappen until losing most of that advantage through turns nine and ten in the middle sector.

After being told by his team that Verstappen had beaten him to pole by just 0.021 seconds – the tightest margin of the season – Leclerc, not for the first time this season, let out a shout of frustration. He had to admit his surprise that a relatively minor error had been enough for him to lose pole to his rival after their comparative pace leading up to Saturday afternoon.

“Obviously you always targeting to be on pole and, looking at my lap, in turn ten I did a mistake,” said Leclerc. “To be honest, looking at the gap with Max today, I did not expect that coming into Q3.”

A home pole position is always one to savour, but making his 100,000-plus fans in attendance roar with delight after being so far off from Ferrari to start the weekend was especially satisfying for the man on a seemingly unstoppable charge to a second world championship.

“It was a special qualifying, especially after yesterday,” Verstappen said.

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“It was really tough, we had to change the car around quite a bit, because we didn’t really have any information. Basically this morning was still about learning quite a bit of the car and all about just trying to fine-tune it a bit towards qualifying.

“When I started my lap, I…