IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix

Don’t worry everyone, the wait is over and Formula 1 is back this weekend with the return of racing after the August shutdown. There have been a number of developments since the last race in Belgium, so here are a few talking points that are likely to be covered as the paddock reconvenes at Zandvoort.

Sainz’s move to Williams

What felt like a long-running storyline was finally resolved on the Monday after the race at Spa-Francorchamps, as Carlos Sainz made his decision about his future and was announced as a Williams driver from 2025 onwards.

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Sainz had faced multiple questions about the options he had on the table during the first part of the season, and now is likely to be on the receiving end of even more on Thursday as he gets a chance to explain his choice and his hopes for the coming years.

The fact a decision has been made is also likely to trigger further movement in the driver market, with Alpine and Sauber – both teams that had been chasing Sainz – now aware that he is no longer an option.

If either of those teams had clear alternative targets that are ready to go then announcements might not be too far away. But given Mercedes are still to confirm who will replace Lewis Hamilton next year, then there might still be interest in seeing how the situation plays out at Toto Wolff’s team first, too.

Ricciardo’s outlook at RB

Not only did Carlos Sainz have his future confirmed the day after the Belgian Grand Prix, but so too did Sergio Perez.

A meeting at Red Bull – to discuss multiple topics heading into the summer break – saw Perez’s form discussed and the decision taken to work at making the car more drivable for him rather than make a change during the break.

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Perez had started the season strongly with three second-place finishes in the first four races, and never failing to finish in the top five in the opening six rounds. Since then, he hasn’t scored a result better than seventh, but Helmut Marko believes the gap to Max Verstappen has been exacerbated by the RB20 becoming trickier to drive.

The show of faith in Perez meant no promotion for Daniel Ricciardo, with the Australian’s future now even more uncertain. With Liam Lawson waiting in the wings, Ricciardo is likely going to need to put together an extremely strong second part of the season to earn another year at RB, or give Red Bull a tougher decision to make if Perez continues to struggle.

Or, with some impressive showings behind him since returning to a race seat 12 months ago, could Ricciardo attract interest from one of the teams yet to confirm their line-ups for 2025?

New Team Principals

Two of the teams that were linked with Sainz and still have driver vacancies – Alpine and Sauber – have confirmed significant signings of their own during the gap in races, with new Team Principals being announced.

For Alpine, the departure of Bruno Famin from the role was confirmed in Belgium, where paddock rumours strongly linked Oliver Oakes with the position. Oakes has now been installed and becomes the second youngest Team Principal to work in Formula 1, with a big job on his hands to bring stability to the Enstone-based constructor.

READ MORE: From karting champion to the second youngest Team Principal in F1 history – Who is new Alpine boss Oliver Oakes?

While Oakes is already able to start work at Alpine, Sauber’s new Team Principal won’t join until some point in 2025, with Jonathan Wheatley making the move from Red Bull. Wheatley has been a mainstay at Red Bull throughout the past two decades and was identified by Audi as the person to lead their F1 project under Mattia Binotto.

Both are likely to be central to plenty of discussions in the paddock this weekend, with Oakes directly speaking and the impact of Wheatley’s departure more likely to be a question for Christian Horner and Red Bull.

McLaren’s ongoing push to catch Red Bull

Speaking of Red Bull, they continue to lead both championships but were seeing their advantage in the constructors’ standings regularly reduced by McLaren before the break.

After George Russell’s disqualification moved everyone up a spot in the final classification in Belgium, Red Bull’s lead was cut to just 42 points, meaning McLaren can theoretically take over top spot this weekend. That would need a one-two finish and a failure for Red Bull to score, so it’s far more likely that McLaren’s target will be to continue their recent momentum.

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Ferrari can’t be counted out in that battle either, sitting 63 points adrift of Red Bull and showing signs of progress in Belgium. However, team boss Fred Vasseur has suggested the main aim in Zandvoort will be to remain close to the top two teams before a run of tracks that he believes are more likely to suit Ferrari in Monza, Baku and Singapore.

Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that Russell’s penalty did not cost Mercedes victory as Lewis Hamilton picked up his second win in three races, and his team’s third in four. Can they keep that sort of form up? Basically, it’s just so exciting to have racing back and uncertainty over who will come out on top.

A party atmosphere at Zandvoort

What a race to return with as well, as Zandvoort always ensures F1 returns in eye-catching fashion after four weeks without a Grand Prix.

Passionate and energetic fans, plenty of entertainment and atmosphere, and a fun track layout all add up to a spectacular weekend, with the weather also adding to the drama last year.

READ MORE: Contentious collisions, intra-team contact and a surprise win – The most dramatic moments of the 2024 season so far

Despite a huge challenge for the teams to handle, heavy rain at the start of the 2023 race could not bring an end to Max Verstappen’s dominance of his home event, as he won from pole position at Zandvoort for the third straight year.

This season will provide his toughest test yet to keep that run going, with Verstappen’s last victory coming in Spain and the Dutchman having scored just one podium in his last four races. But having got a power unit penalty out of the way in Belgium and still managing to extend his championship lead over Lando Norris, Verstappen arrives in the Netherlands in a very strong position.