This was the Friday at Zandvoort: Red flags and competition for Verstappen

The first day of Formula 1 action at the Zandvoort circuit is over. There were two free practice sessions, with Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Nikita Mazepin all causing red flags. Max Verstappen was not the fastest, but still things are looking good for Red Bull Racing.

It was not the Dutchman who set the fastest times during the free practice sessions today. During FP2 Ferrari showed that they have a strong car and Mercedes seems to be fast over a lap as well. However, it seems that Red Bull is the fastest car in the long runs. They were over four tenths faster. However, due to traffic and red flags, Verstappen didn't manage to put in a decent lap, so the expectation is that the Dutchman will be faster tomorrow.

During FP1 the drivers could only drive for 23 minutes. Due to a technical problem the Aston Martin-driver had to park his car next to the track and it took some time before it could be removed. During the second training session it was Hamilton who had a technical problem, because of this the Briton missed most of the training session. Hamilton will change his gearbox ahead of tomorrow, but this doesn't have any consequences.

The organisation of the Dutch GP is happy with the course of Friday, although not everything went smoothly. After the first practice session, there was a buildup of fans due to a malfunction at the cash register. The organisation has said to be prepared for similar situations in the future.