The Dutch Grand Prix heralds the return of this current Formula 1 season, with the paddock heading to Zandvoort for this weekend’s race.
But do you remember what happened during last year's race? Do not worry because here are five stand-out moments.
The end of Sargeant, in Formula 1
Logan Sargeant appeared under pressure from the moment that he stepped in an F1 car, as he scarcely managed to be competitive versus Williams’ number one driver, Alex Albon.
The American’s future prospects had also been harmed by a litany of crashes, which inflicted a great personal toll on his mechanics, who had to endure many long nights having to repair his wrecked machinery.
Already replaced for the following season, murmurings that Sargeant was set to be dropped during 2024 became vocal, and then official, when he clumsily rolled his right front, and rear, tyres onto the grass in the wet.
A massive crash then ensued, as the rear of the car got away from him and he slammed into the barriers, with even a fire braking out.
Bearing in mind that this was only practice, the American had made the team's decision up for them.
Sargeant was coming out of Turn 3 when he lost control and then clattered into the barriers #F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/EMOIl4Y3C3
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 24, 2024
It was the final straw, as he was replaced by Franco Colapinto, for the next race.
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Leclerc impresses
It was around this point last season that Charles Leclerc produced his best run of form. A podium in Belgium, followed by a fourth place in Hungary, became the bedrock for a sharp run of races post-summer break.
But the SF-24 looked miserable around Zandvoort, particularly in qualifying. The high and medium-speed turns, with long radiuses, did not bring the best out of the car and it was knocked out in Q2, with Carlos Sainz, and Charles Leclerc could only qualify P6.
But having pipped Sergio Perez at the start, Leclerc then undercut Oscar Piastri to jump up to third, as well as also running a better strategy than George Russell. Despite the faster McLaren hounding him for the remainder of the race, the Monegasque held firm to score a rostrum finish that hardly anybody within Ferrari expected.
Gasly’s return to form
Although Pierre Gasly ended 2024 with some of his best form, during his F1 career, he had been outperformed by Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon for much of the campaign’s first half.
However, Gasly had one of his vintage weekends, where he led the midfield and comfortably bettered Ocon. He started ninth and finished there, after he performed the overcut and stormed past the likes of Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso, en route to two valuable points in the midfield fight.
Red Bull’s mounting struggles
After this race, it had been five races since Max Verstappen and Red Bull had tasted victory, as the RB20 was becoming a more difficult car to tame.
Despite leading the race’s first 17 laps, he was overwhelmed in the fight for victory and looked stunned in the cooldown room, as he saw a fourth drivers’ championship crown potentially starting to crumble.
But the sight of his car both oversteering and understeering spoke of its balance limitations, at a track that he had won in the three years beforehand; Red Bull were no longer the benchmark…
...because McLaren had stormed away
In fact, it was not just Verstappen who looked stunned by McLaren’s pace, Charles Leclerc shared that concern as well. Because Lando Norris had just won the Dutch Grand Prix, on pure pace, by over 20 seconds.
Norris started the race on pole, but as became customary, he relinquished the advantage on the first lap, as the home favourite slithered past him.
Sargeant was coming out of Turn 3 when he lost control and then clattered into the barriers #F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/EMOIl4Y3C3
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 24, 2024
But on lap 18, Norris profited from DRS and left Verstappen for dust, as they arrived at the first turn. From there, the McLaren enjoyed every bit of serenity, it was well-balanced across all types of corners and was now the undisputed benchmark in F1.
Norris had a 70-point deficit to chase down, if he were to win that year’s drivers’ championship. At this point, it felt that anything was possible.