Dutch Grand Prix 2024 Predictions: Verstappen targets glory on home soil

After a summer break that went by in a blink of an eye, Formula One returns this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort. The orange flares will light up the sky as Max Verstappen looks to return to winning ways on home soil after going four races without stepping on the top step of the podium. 

Below I’ve given my Dutch Grand Prix 2024 predictions, including just the one betting tip for you this week.

Max Verstappen to win Dutch Grand Prix @ 7/4

I usually pick out a couple of selections for each race, but I’m dropping it down to one for this weekend based on a couple of reasons. First of all, we don’t truly know how each team will perform after the summer break, plus, there have been so many different winners and pole sitters over the last few months that it is difficult to judge. 

It’s why I’m not plumping for the fastest qualifier in this one. Instead, I’m backing Red Bull and Max Verstappen to get back on top after a summer reset. I think this will be seen by many as a boring selection, but if you’ve watched the F1 over the past few races, you will know how competitive it is nowadays. 

Formula One Odds

Gone are the days of Verstappen leading from start to finish and winning 20+ races per season. Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and George Russell all won races before the break, and now there’s genuine belief that Lando could even challenge Max for the title. The Dutchman is currently 78 points ahead of him, but with a strong second-half to the season from McLaren, that gap could rapidly be closed. 

However, what I see for the Dutch Grand Prix on this occasion is big odds on a man who has been utterly dominant in front of his own fans of late. The orange wall is one of the greatest sights the sport has to offer and 99 per cent of the supporters at Circuit Zandvoort will be desperate for Verstappen to take the chequered flag first. 

Now, although F1 is perhaps not as impacted by fan support as other sports, Verstappen’s record at his home Grand Prix is sensational. Do you know the last race winner of a Zandvoort F1 race that wasn’t named Max Verstappen? Nicki Lauda. In 1985. 

Dutch Grand Prix Odds

Now of course, there was a gap of 25 years without a race here between 1986 and 2021, but Verstappen has won the last three Grands Prix at this circuit, and he knows it like the back of his hand. If he could pick out a perfect track to prove he is still the best in the business, it would be this one. 

As a result, and after a summer of tweaks to get the best out of his Red Bull, I think the 7/4 on offer for Verstappen to be victorious at his home Grand Prix is well worth backing. There’s just something special that happens when he sees that orange haze.