F1 Grid Slot Stats: Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort

Max Verstappen has won the last three Dutch Grands Prix from pole position. 2022 marked the first time since 1970 and 1971 that two consecutive wins have been taken from pole at Zandvoort, while 2023 made it the first time since 1952, 1953 and 1955 that three successive races at Zandvoort have been won from pole. Another win in 2024 would be the first time four successive races at the track have been won from pole.

In the final Zandvoort race during the Dutch Grand Prix’s first stint on the calendar, back in 1985, Nelson Piquet became the first polesitter to finish in a position outside of the points as he came home in eighth place. Before that, all 19 occasions where the polesitter had finished were within the top six.

The Dutch Grand Prix has been won from pole 15 times. The polesitter has failed to finish 11 times; including twice in the last seven Zandvoort races.

The driver starting second at Zandvoort has had more points-scoring races than drivers starting from any other grid slot, with 22 finishes within the top six and a seventh place finish last year.

Every points-scoring race prior to 2023 was a podium finish, with Clay Regazzoni in 1975 and Charles Leclerc in 2022 being the only drivers to finish third from this position. Lando Norris finished seventh having started second last year.

Despite all of the positive stats, five of the nine Dutch Grands Prix resulted in the driver who started second retiring.

Third on the grid holds the joint-record for most top ten finishes at Zandvoort, with 23 in total. There have been thirteen podium finishes from third on the grid, but James Hunt’s victory in 1975 is the only win to have come from third at Zandvoort.

George Russell finished 17th having started third in the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix – the first finish in a position outside of the points for this grid slot since 1971.

The driver starting fourth finished fourth in both 2021 and 2022. Alex Albon finished eighth having started here last year.

Of the top eight grid slots, fourth has had the most non-finishes, with 14. Two of those have been in the last six Zandvoort races.

There have been two wins from fourth on the grid at Zandvoort – for Didier Pironi in 1982 and for Niki Lauda in 1977.

Like the driver starting fourth, the driver starting fifth has finished where they started in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Fernando Alonso became the first driver to finish on the Dutch Grand Prix podium having started fifth since 1980.

There have been two wins from fifth on the grid at the Dutch Grand Prix. Jackie Stewart won from here in 1968 and Nelson Piquet was victorious in 1980.

There have been three retirements from fifth in the last eight races at this circuit, but of the races which the driver starting here has finished, they have scored more often than not.

Sixth is the highest grid slot to have never won the Dutch Grand Prix. Its best result is second place, first recorded by Niki Lauda in 1984 and equalled by George Russell in 2022.

On all 20 occasions that the driver starting here has finished the race, they have finished within the top ten.

The driver starting seventh at Zandvoort has finished in the top ten 23 times. With just nine non-finishes, this grid slot has had the fewest retirements of any grid slot in the top 11.

No driver has won from here, but there have been seven podium finishes from seventh on the grid – the latest of which was in 1982.

The driver starting eighth failed to finish all of the last three Dutch Grands Prix in its first stint on the F1 calendar. In the last seven Zandvoort races before 2021, the driver starting eighth recorded six DNFs.

Esteban Ocon turned those fortunes around in 2021 with a ninth place finish, becoming the first driver to score from this grid slot since 1978. Oscar Piastri also finished ninth having started here in 2023.

This grid slot has supplied only one podium finish, which was a win for Jim Clark in 1967.

While Fernando Alonso finished sixth in the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix, all but two of the last 13 races have resulted in non-classified results for the driver starting ninth. The only other finish in that period was fifth place for Elio de Angelis in 1981.

The driver starting here has retired at each of the last two Dutch Grand Prix weekends. From the top ten grid slots, ninth has had the most non-classified results in total, with 18.

The driver starting tenth at the Dutch Grand Prix could be in for a good afternoon if past form is anything to go by.

The driver starting here has won two of the last six races at Zandvoort. Rene Arnoux won from tenth on the grid in 1983, while Niki Lauda repeated the feat in 1985. It’s the furthest back grid slot to have won the event.

Logan Sargeant’s crash in the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix ended tenth’s reign as the grid slot which had gone the longest at the track without a retirement, the previous being in 1981.

In 2021, Daniel Ricciardo finished 11th, becoming the first driver to fail to score from this position since 1982. Lance Stroll finished where he started in 2022, picking up a single point.

The driver starting 11th at the Dutch Grand Prix has suffered more non-finishes than any other grid slot.

The driver starting here has retired 20 times, including eight times consecutively between 1970 and 1978 and three times in the last six races at the track.

The best result recorded from here is third, by Pedro Rodriguez in 1968. The driver starting 11th has finished 11th in the last two Zandvoort races.

12th on the grid has resulted in five points-scoring races in the last seven Dutch Grands Prix. That includes a podium finishes for Nigel Mansell in 1984 and Pierre Gasly in 1982. Their third place finishes are the only top three results recorded from this grid slot at Zandvoort.

There have been only eight retirements from 12th – the second-fewest of any position in the top 20. There have also been 20 top ten finishes from this grid slot – the most of any from ninth on the grid and further back.

Until 2021, the longest active streak of non-finishes at the Dutch Grand Prix was held by the 13th grid slot. The driver starting here failed to finish all of the last ten races at Zandvoort and Andrea de Cesaris failed to even make the start in 1981.

The grid slot has enjoyed a turn around in fortunes since F1’s return to Zandvoort, with all three races resulting in points finishes. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have each finished sixth having started here in the last two seasons, recording the position’s best result since 1964.

This grid slot has scored five times in total, including in each of the last two Zandvoort races. Felice Bonetto and José Froilán González shared a drive to score a podium finish from here in 1953, while Chris Amon finished fifth in 1964.

Just three Dutch Grands Prix have resulted in points being scored for the driver starting 14th at Zandvoort. It’s a grid position which has provided one podium finish, a second place for Dan Gurney in 1963.

Six of the last 12 Zandvoort races resulted in the driver starting 14th retiring.

John Watson’s third place finish in 1983 remains the last time that the driver starting 15th at Zandvoort has picked up points.

It’s one of two podium finishes to have come from this position, the other also being a third place finish for Jody Scheckter in 1977.

In total, the driver lining up 15th has scored on six occasions and finished in the top ten 14 times.

16th is the furthest back grid slot from which a podium finish has been recorded at Zandvoort. That podium was for Jean-Pierre Beltoise, who finished as runner-up in 1968.

Beltoise’ podium is one of three times that the driver starting here has scored points, the other three times being in the last seven races at the track.

Mauro Baldi finished sixth in 1982, Michele Alboreto finished fourth in 1985 and Esteban Ocon finished tenth in 2023.

The last three Dutch Grands Prix before 2021 resulted in retirements for the driver starting 17th on the grid.

From the 29 Zandvoort races in which a driver has started from 17th, there have been seven top ten finishes and three points-scoring races.

Emerson Fittipaldi has the best result from here, finishing fourth in 1977.

The driver starting 18th has scored points only three times at the Dutch Grand Prix. All three of those were sixth places, which were taken in the last seven races at the track before F1’s 2021 return.

Three of the last five races at Zandvoort have resulted in retirements for the driver starting 18th.

Of the top 20 grid slots, 19th is the only one to have never scored at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Four top ten finishes have been scored from here, with a best result of seventh for Hans-Joachim Stuck in 1977. Until 2022, that was the last time a driver starting from this position finished the race.

The best result for the driver starting 20th at the Dutch Grand Prix is fifth, recorded by Jacky Ickx in 1979; a race in which all but four cars who started ahead of him retired.

That’s one of two times that the grid slot has provided a top six finish, the other occasion being a sixth place for Gijs Van Lennep in 1973.

In 2021, Nicholas Latifi and Sergio Perez became the first drivers to start the Dutch Grand Prix from the pit lane. Sergio Perez scored points with an eighth place finish, while Nicholas Latifi came home in 16th place.

Kevin Magnussen started from the pit lane at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. He finished 16th.