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The 2022 F1 Dutch GP will be the second race of the triple-header the teams will be heading to. The race will be Max Verstappen's second-ever home race, and as expected, the Dutch fans will be out in full force. The Formula 1 circus comes to Zandvoort on the back of a dominant display by Max Verstappen at the Belgian GP.
The track layout caught out quite a few teams, while others were able to benefit from it as well. With this being the second race after the summer break, some teams will be desperate for a strong result to get the momentum back. Who are these teams? Let's find out as we look at the top 3 teams desperate for a strong result at the Dutch GP.
#1 Ferrari
Ferrari's 2022 F1 campaign took another huge blow at the Belgian GP. Red Bull and Max Verstappen not only blew it out of the water but also left the weekend with another addition to the long list of questionable strategic moves during the race.
The performance at Spa could be put down to the layout. Red Bull found the sweet spot and then Max Verstappen was in an unrelenting mood afterwards. To add to this, the compromise between the downforce levels and the straight-line speed worked out perfectly.
At Zandvoort, the track layout is entirely different. This is not a track where straight-line speed is kind. However, looking at the layout, the track should play to Ferrari's strength. With the team and its drivers low on confidence, the team will be desperate for a win at the Dutch GP this weekend.
If Ferrari does its job perfectly this weekend, it should have the car to give Charles Leclerc a much-deserved win. But will the team do its job perfectly? The entire weekend's result will hinge on that.
#2 Mercedes F1
'A kick to the teeth' was how Lewis Hamilton described the qualifying session at Spa for the team, as he was 1.8 seconds off the fastest time. The team recovered to an extent and put on a better showing in the race, but it was clear as day that Mercedes had the third fastest car on the track.
After so much focus on the technical directive and the hype surrounding it, it was a reality check for the German squad that exposed the car's flaws and showed the areas where the team needed to work.
Mercedes' main weakness lies in straight-line speed. The car produces too much drag on the straights and struggles to get the tires up to working temperatures fast enough. This is one of the reasons why the team struggled in qualifying at the F1 Belgian GP but was far more competitive in the race.
The track layout of the F1 Dutch GP shouldn't be too big a cause of concern for the team because there aren't too many long straights. The track has a good mixture of fast and slow-medium speed corners, which should bring the team into contention. This is also a race where the technical directive could show the real impact it would have on the pecking order and could work in Mercedes' favor.
Having said that, Mercedes needs to perform at the F1 Dutch GP. If the team has a repeat of what happened at Spa and does not show the kind of form it had in the Fi1 Hungarian GP, then that's curtains for the 2022 F1 season for Mercedes. The team will have to abandon the current concept and start from scratch for the 2023 F1 season.
#3 McLaren
Crudely speaking, McLaren got smashed by Alpine at the F1 Belgian GP. The team is currently in a direct battle with Alpine on and off the track. On the track, it's a battle to secure P4 in the championship, while off the track, there is a battle to secure the services of Oscar Piastri.
McLaren, in all likelihood, will be able to secure the services of Oscar Piastri, but when it comes to the battle for P4 in the championship, it's floundering. Alpine has a more all-around package that works at almost every track, while McLaren has been peakier in terms of the crests and troughs in its performances.
While tracks like Spa certainly take advantage away from McLaren because of the car's excessive drag, Zandvoort should suit the team more. These are the tracks where the Woking-Squad needs to cut down on the advantage that Alpine is enjoying at the moment. McLaren will be desperate for a strong showing at the 2022 F1 Dutch GP this coming weekend if they have to keep their battle for P4 alive.
