Formula 1 drivers are set to face perilous 80km/h winds during Friday’s practice sessions for the Dutch Grand Prix, posing a “dangerous” challenge for all involved.
The seaside Zandvoort circuit is well known for its gusty conditions, but Friday practice is set to take that to a slightly extreme level.
Discussing the forecast on media day, several drivers noted how the conditions will present a unique challenge with the wind set to greatly impact car handling.
“I don’t think there are any cars that are designed for the wind we have forecasted for tomorrow,” said Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
“I think it’s up to 80km/h,” the Monegasque driver added, before sharing his concerns that the adverse weather could even prevent cars from going out on track.
“I’m not sure there will be many cars on track in case it’s that way,” Leclerc prophesied.
“However, I think for Saturday and Sunday, it calms down, but it still remains extremely high wind.”
McLaren’s Lando Norris sought to explain why the winds will affect the talented Grand Prix driver field, an elite crop of racing athletes that regularly cope with high-g cornering and whatever else piloting the world’s leading single-seater cars can throw at them.
“It’s a lot trickier than people think,” he said.
“I mean, even when it’s 20-25km/h, it is already a lot. Even when it’s no wind to 10km/h, you notice the difference.
“When it’s just a constant 25km/h it’s difficult, but it’s going to be 40, 50, 60, 70, 80km/h… I’ve never experienced something like that.
“Obviously it can be quite dangerous, because if you go into a corner at a certain speed, like Turn 7, with a 60, 70, 80km/h wind, that changes the car.
“There’s nothing you can do as a driver. You’re going to be in the gravel or in the wall. I don’t know what to expect.”
Norris’ McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri believes the wind will have a huge part in affecting how the cars generate downforce.
The Australian driver reckons the severity of the conditions will make F1 cars feel like a step down the single-seater ladder in terms of aerodynamic performance.
“The amount of downforce you gain, or more importantly lose, depending on the direction of the wind is [massive],” he said.
“In some corners it will probably be like driving an F2 car tomorrow.
“It’s a massive change and also very difficult for us because of course we can’t feel the wind that well.
“You can feel it pretty well when it’s sideways, but when it’s a headwind or a tailwind, it’s not always that easy to tell.
“And if you get a gust at the wrong moment, it’s completely out of your control in some ways.
“I think it’ll be a pretty interesting day, and an interesting weekend, with the wind and the rain.”
If the drivers can ride the winds of change on Friday, rain is indeed predicted to intervene on Saturday.
So, not only does the weather have a part to play in increasing the risks driers will be taking, but it could also wreak havoc with Formula 1’s increasingly hard-to-predict form book.
