F1: McLaren return as favourites to Max Verstappen's backyard

Formula One ends its August break and goes straight back to the beach at Zandvoort this weekend, with Max Verstappen's rowdy orange army cheering the home Dutch hero against McLaren domination.

McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri and teammate Lando Norris, nine points behind after 14 of 24 races, have finished the last four races one-two.

Norris, triumphant last year in Zandvoort, will be chasing his fourth win in five races.

Few would bet against a fifth successive one-two for the papaya-liveried team as they get back on track after the mandatory summer shutdown, with Zandvoort followed on immediately by Italy's Monza to round out the European season.

Australian Piastri has six wins to Norris' five this season - with Verstappen on two and without a podium appearance since Canada in June - but he did finish fourth last time out in the Netherlands.

He can be expected to be far more competitive as he and Norris renew what would normally be considered hostilities, with a title at stake, but has so far been a remarkably sporting duel.

Verstappen cannot be counted out either, whatever recent results would suggest.

No driver has a relationship with Zandvoort like the home hero, with the Red Bull driver always starting on the front row and winning from pole in 2021, 2022 and 2023 before having to settle for second last year.

Of the 288 Formula One laps raced there in his lifetime, Verstappen has led 200.

Ferrari, second in the constructors' standings but a mighty 299 points behind McLaren, and Mercedes will also be looking to get in on the action.

New Zealand's Liam Lawson is 15th in the Drivers' Championship and Racing Bulls eighth in the Constructors' Championship.

Formula One statistics for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, round 15 of the 24-race championship:

• Lap distance: 4.259km. Total distance: 306.587km (72 laps)
• 2024 pole position: Lando Norris (Britain) McLaren, one minute 09.673 seconds
• 2024 race winner: Norris
• Race lap record: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:11.097, 2021
• Start time: 01:00 Monday NZ time (1500 local)

Netherlands

Zandvoort returned to the calendar in 2021 for the first time since 1985. This year's race will be the 35th world championship Dutch Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won his home race in 2021, 2022 and 2023 from pole position.

Last year he started on the front row again and finished second - 22.8 seconds behind Norris. Verstappen has led 200 of the 288 laps raced at Zandvoort in his lifetime.

Overtaking can be a challenge, with the winner coming from pole every time since the race's return.

The circuit opened in 1948 in the seaside dunes west of Amsterdam and is "old school" - flowing, with high-speed changes of direction and much of the lap spent cornering.

The last two banked corners have an angle steeper than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the pit lane is the season's shortest.

The narrow and twisty track, with 14 corners, is the second shortest after Monaco. Only 55 percent of the lap is spent at full throttle.

Championship lead

Australian Oscar Piastri leads McLaren teammate Norris by nine points. Verstappen is third and 97 points off the lead.

In the constructors' standings, McLaren (559 points) are 299 clear of second-placed Ferrari (260), with Mercedes third (236) and Red Bull fourth (194).

Wins

Hamilton has not won since his career 105th victory in Belgium on 28 July, 2024.

Piastri has won six of 14 races this season, Norris five, Verstappen two and Mercedes' George Russell one.

Verstappen has won 65 grands prix and is third on the all-time list after Michael Schumacher on 91.

McLaren have had seven one-two finishes this season, including the last four races. They have not had so many one-twos since 1988 when Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna managed 10.

Pole position

Piastri, Norris and Verstappen have been on pole four times this season, Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc once each.

Podium

The McLaren drivers have each finished on the podium 12 times in 2025.

Leclerc's second place in Monaco remains Ferrari's best of the season. The Monegasque now has five podiums for the season. Hamilton has yet to stand on the podium for Ferrari.

Points

Piastri is the only driver to have scored in every race this year. The Australian has scored for 40 race weekends in a row, if sprints are included - and in 32 successive grands prix.

Only one driver on the grid has yet to score - Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto.

Milestone

Tyre supplier Pirelli are celebrating their 500th world championship grand prix this weekend.

One more pole position will lift Red Bull to fifth on the sport's all-time list on 108 and ahead of Lotus.

Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson made his F1 debut at the circuit in 2023.

-Reuters