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After last week's damp squib, Zandvoort provided just the sort of celebratory summer beach party we all needed. It was a very special weekend for Max Verstappen in particular as he finally got to feel what it means for an F1 driver to take part in - and win - their home race. To his adoring fans, Max was unquestionably driver of the day - but how did the others fare in our Dutch GP driver ratings?
Kimi Raikkonen (Withdrawn): 5/10
Kimi Raikkonen has never been the sort of man to allow others to set the pace and march meekly behind, so it was no surprise when he didn't wait until Monza to officially announce his retirement from F1 at the end of the current season as the team has wanted. It made him the centre of attention arriving at Zandvoort, although his Friday practice sessions were singularly unremarkable, just has been the case throughout 2021 - and possibly a reason for why he's finally decided to call time now. Or maybe he was feeling under the weather, because on Saturday morning came the shock news that Raikkonen had tested positive for coronavirus. That was the abrupt end to his Dutch GP - and possibly Italy too. We hope the Iceman he's feeling well and is back in the cockpit soon.
Nikita Mazepin (Retired, Lap 42): 4.5/10
Nikita Mazepin started Friday faster than Mick Schumacher, and was ahead again in final practice by four tenths. But he was back to being slowest of anyone when it came to qualifying, by which time he'd taken serious umbrage with his Haas team mate for overtaking him on an outlap which had compromised his run. He made his feelings very clear when talking with the media, and on Sunday at the start of the race the pair once again clashed on track as has become depressingly familiar of late. The repeated incidents are not winning the Russian any friends in the paddock, and the team's seeming inability to reign him in is making the management look weak and unprofessional. He spent Sunday at the back (save for Schumacher who'd had to pit after their spat) before retiring with hydraulic issues after completing 41 laps of Zandvoort, still professing himself innocent of any misdemeanours. No one missed him for the remainder of the run.
Yuki Tsunoda (Retired, Lap 49): 5.5/10
An early spin followed by power unit issues sidelined Yuki Tsunoda on Friday morning which saw him complete only three laps, and that's a big setback for a rookie who needs all the track time he can get. It may explain the AlphaTauri driver's somewhat indifferent weekend from that point on: while he succeeded in making the cut at the end of the first round of qualifying, he still lined up in 15th while his team mate was all the way up on the second row. He was able to make little progress in the race itself, peaking in 11th when cars ahead of him pitted first, but then returning to his starting position where he remained stuck in a parade of cars before having to retire with further mechanical issues on lap 49. It was a profoundly unremarkable race for Tsunoda, who had done little wrong after FP1 but at the same time seemed to lack any real spark at Zandvoort and who will presumably be keen to get to Monza.
