The China Mail - Mercedes and Max: What to watch as F1 returns for Dutch GP

The Dutch seaside resort of Zandvoort is hosting its last-ever Grand Prix and it promises to be action-packed, with an inaugural sprint race and changeable weather keeping the paddock on its toes.

AFP Sport picks out the key things to watch:

- Is Kimi catchable? -

After storming to the chequered flag six times in the first half of the season, 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli enjoys a 50-point lead over his nearest rival, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

But recent results have shown that Mercedes are not unbeatable and team boss Toto Wolff admitted his rivals were gaining ground.

"We have left points on the table, our rivals have reduced the performance gap, and we know the second half of the year will demand more from us than the first," said Wolff ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Antonelli salvaged a third-place finish in Hungary before the break but acknowledged it was a case of "damage limitation" and predicted a "big fight" in the second half of the season starting in Zandvoort.

Mercedes have never won at Zandvoort, noted Wolff. "This is our final opportunity to change that."

- McLaren, Ferrari in rear-view mirror -

Seizing on a dip in Mercedes' form are a resurgent McLaren and Ferrari, whose star driver Hamilton has seen an extraordinary reversal of fortunes since the last time he raced the Zandvoort track.

Reigning world champions McLaren have mixed memories of the Dutch GP from last year.

Oscar Piastri, at the time top of the drivers' championship, led from Pole to chequered flag but the eventual world champion Lando Norris suffered a dramatic breakdown late in the race.

McLaren have been unable to reproduce last season's glories but have grounds for optimism after Norris took his first win in Hungary after a major upgrade to the car.

Hamilton arrived in the Netherlands last year in a foul mood, after saying he was "useless" and suggesting Ferrari should find another driver.

But the 41-year-old Briton now believes he can challenge for an eighth world title and said last month he was proud of "digging myself out of that place that I was in."

"I arrive now worlds away from where I was last year," he said.

- Max power -

The "Orange Army" will be out in force one last time to roar on their hero, Dutchman Max Verstappen, who will don a special helmet for the occasion, inspired by the famous blue Delft pottery.

The four-time world champion won the first three editions of his "home" Grand Prix but has seen McLaren triumph in his backyard for the past two years.

"An iconic Grand Prix. Unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime," the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram ahead of the race.

Verstappen has delicately swerved questions about his future amid rumours he could switch teams or even quit F1 altogether.

"I am just focused on trying to get the most from the car and that's already complicated enough to deal with," he said last month.

He has recently described his Red Bull as "undriveable" and his radio was laced with profanity at the last Grand Prix.

- The last lap -

From the trains rebaptised "Max Express" to the boozy house parties pumping out tunes along "Verstappen Street" leading up to the racetrack, Zandvoort will miss its F1 weekend.

The laid-back Dutch seaside resort will be off the calendar from next year after the promoter decided to pull the plug amid uncertainty over Verstappen's future in the sport.

Just a stone's throw from the beach, it is a unique course, snaking through the dunes and presenting drivers with headaches ranging from sand on the track to unusual banks.

- Rain on the parade? -

The other thing Zandvoort is famous for? Rain out of nowhere. Its location on the North Sea coast means the only certainty is unpredictable weather.

With the sprint qualification taking place on Friday, teams have only one practice session to dust down the cars from the break -- and rain could spoil the best-laid plans.

A peculiarity of the F1 season so far is that no competitive session has taken place in the wet.

With some rain forecast for all three days of race weekend, that seems likely to change at Zandvoort.

Z.Huang--ThChM