McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo have praised the Zandvoort circuit, with Norris likening it twists and dips to a rollercoaster ride. The Dutch Grand Prix only returned to the F1 calendar last year for the first time since 1985, but many current F1 drivers have considerable experience racing at Zandvoort in other categories of racing, and Norris talked up his successes there in junior formulae. "I really enjoy driving the circuit and I’ve had some decent results there coming through the junior categories," said Norris, who won twice at Zandvoort during his title-winning FIA Formula 3 campaign of 2017. "The undulation and turns make it feel like a rollercoaster ride, so I'm excited to get out there and give it all we've got. "It also always has an incredible atmosphere and I like to think that most of the orange is there to support McLaren!"
Ricciardo: Zandvoort is old-school
Norris' teammate Ricciardo also talked up the Zandvoort circuit, noting the carnival atmosphere from the Dutch fans, and citing the famous Tarzan corner as a prime overtaking spot. "I'm looking forward to Zandvoort," said Ricciardo. "It's an awesome circuit and has such a fun, almost festival-like atmosphere which is great for your mood going into the weekend. "It's more of an old-school circuit with interesting features like Tarzan and the ability to overtake there, so I'm excited to get on track and see how different it is from last year in the new cars."
Seidl keen on DRS trial
This year's Dutch Grand Prix will see an extended DRS zone trialled during FP1, with drivers able to open their rear wings during the final banked Arie Luyendyk Bocht before the main straight. McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl noted the challenges that the new iteration of the circuit would provide for drivers and their ability to overtake. "Zandvoort is an incredibly quick circuit and has had some memorable moments over the years," said Seidl. "With F1 trialling DRS through the final banked corner for FP1, it should be interesting to see how the new iteration of cars perform and what impact it has on our ability to overtake, especially as the cars can run side by side there. "The undulation and swooping sections are also a good feature of the circuit and provide a nice challenge for the drivers."
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