Lando Norris fears that conditions during Friday practice for Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix could be “dangerous” as forecasts predict 80km/h gusts.
Weather warnings have been issued for the local province, with officials saying there is a risk of disruption to all outdoor activities because of flying debris.
But even if things do not get that extreme, Norris has voiced concerns that severe gusts of wind risk drivers being caught off guard at a Zandvoort track where there is no room for error.
Speaking about the potential impact of Friday’s expected wind, Norris said: “It’s a lot trickier than people think. 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…”
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team
Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said that no racing cars could properly cope with the kind of conditions that are expected on Friday, as he doubted many people would run if the weather were as bad as feared.
“I don’t think there are any cars that are designed for the wind we have forecasted for tomorrow,” he said. “I think it’s up to 80km/h. I’m not sure there will be many cars on track in case it’s that way.
“However, I think for Saturday and Sunday, it calms down, but it still remains extremely high wind.”
Alex Albon reckoned that the trickiness of the situation was also exacerbated by the fact that F1 drivers were returning to action after the summer break.
“It’s going to be an interesting challenge because we’ve had almost a three-week break,” he said.
“A lot of people have been on boats and whatnot, and now we have a tight twisty track, high downforce, proper winds, sandy offline. It’s a good way to shake it back out of here.”
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri said that the way downforce was created on F1 cars meant that their cornering potential was very sensitive to changes of wind.
“The amount of downforce you gain, or more importantly lose, depending on the direction of the wind is [massive],” he said. “I mean 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. So, I think it’ll be a pretty interesting day, and an interesting weekend, with the wind and the rain.”
