2023 F1 Dutch GP FP1: Full results and key takeaways

The 2023 F1 Dutch GP FP1 concluded with the familiar face of Max Verstappen on top of the standings. The Red Bull driver obliged the home crowd with an impressive lap time that was almost three-tenths of a second quicker than Fernando Alonso in P2.

Lewis Hamilton occupied the spot in P3 ahead of Sergio Perez while Alex Albon rounded up P5. The only disruption during the race was from Nico Hulkenberg, who crashed into the barriers and brought out the Red Flag.

In a session that marked the return of F1, what did we learn? Let's take a look.

2023 F1 Dutch GP FP1: What did we learn?

#1 Red Bull and Max Verstappen in prime position

Looking at the timesheets it is quite evident that Max Verstappen will hold the edge over everybody at the 2023 F1 Dutch GP.

The Dutch driver ended the session on top of the standings by almost three-tenths. Having said that, there might be a little more on the table that he still has on the table.

With Sergio Perez his conventional distance back from Verstappen, the Red Bull driver could face some challenges in qualifying but overall the 2023 F1 Dutch GP might be the one where he levels Sebastian Vettel.

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#2 Signs of life at Aston Martin?

Fernando Alonso is running a heavily upgraded Aston Martin and if the lap on soft tires was any indication, the team is back to being a podium contender.

A lap time that was quicker than Perez and only three-tenths down on Max Verstappen is very impressive and we could see the team getting back to its usual podium contention.

We still have to wait for 2023 F1 Dutch GP FP2 but for now, it does appear that the upgrades seem to be working.

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#3 Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari not revealing anything

Neither Mercedes driver could put together an optimal time.

Lewis Hamilton's first lap was disrupted by a red flag while this second lap was not without a few errors here and there. George Russell, on the other hand, was blocked in qualifying on his fast lap which means we could not see what his true potential was either.

The McLaren drivers did not do much running in terms of setting fast lap times and even when they completed their soft tire runs, it was not the optimal run plan for either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris. Ferrari on its part did not even bother with a soft tire run, saving tires for FP2.

Overall, the real picture will become clear when the teams start dropping their sandbags in the next 2023 F1 Dutch GP practice session.

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#4 Williams arguably running higher power modes

Finding both Williams drivers in the top 10 is a clear indication of how the team was running higher power modes in the session.

The 2023 F1 Dutch GP FP1 saw both Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant climbing up the rankings on the timesheets and finishing the session inside the top 10.

However, looking at the timesheets and the disparaging advantage in S1 and S3 showed that the cars were probably running a higher engine mode and lower fuel loads to get those laps.

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#5 The track is unforgiving in places

The track in Zandvoort deserves praise in one key aspect and that is how its old-school nature makes the track a fan-favorite.

The mistake made by Nico Hulkenerbg was not a major one. In fact, it was a slight correction on the steering wheel that he had to do.

Unfortunately, that was all that was needed to send him into the barriers. Unlike the new tracks that these massive run-off areas are far too forgiving, this was certainly a breath of fresh air as it showed that the mistakes will get punished.