The first training of the Formula 2 drivers at the Zandvoort circuit has raised two red flags. The session, which lasted 45 minutes, had to be stopped twice after a driver crashed.
First the German David Beckmann ended up in the gravel box next to the track. The driver of the Dutch racing team Van Amersfoort Racing managed to get out of that again, but it did ensure that a lot of gravel ended up on the track. Training was halted to allow marshals to clear the tarmac.
With more than 10 minutes to go, the Dane Frederik Vesti also spun. He ended up with his car backwards in the tire stack, which again led to a red flag. The broken car had to be towed away.
Qualification
The Dutchman Richard Verschoor set the tenth fastest time in the first training session. Australian Jack Doohan was the fastest on the track in the dunes. Verschoor (21) conceded more than six tenths of a second to 19-year-old Doohan. Qualifying in Formula 2 starts at 3 pm. A sprint race is scheduled for Saturday, while the main race is on Sunday.
Last year, when Formula 1 returned after 36 years in Zandvoort, Formula 2 was missing. Then Formula 3 and the W Series, the racing series for women, were part of the program. This year, the W Series has made way for Formula 2, which is seen as a ‘step-up class’ towards Formula 1.
The first free practice of Formula 1 starts at 12.30 pm. The grandstands along the circuit are slowly filling up. The organizers expects more than 105,000 visitors daily during the three race days in Zandvoort, who mainly come to see world champion Max Verstappen at work.