Windsor left disappointed by Zandvoort spectacle – Former team manager turned F1 pundit, Peter Windsor, expected Zandvoort to showcase the strengths of Formula 1’s 2026 cars, but instead came away deeply disappointed by the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, especially so with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car.
The former Williams and Ferrari team manager and current F1 analyst argued that energy management had become so influential that even a circuit known for its fast, flowing corners was beginning to resemble a succession of straights.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Windsor said he wished he could describe the sprint and qualifying as brilliant, but argued that the reality was impossible to ignore.
However, it is pointless not to face the reality of what we saw in Zandvoort, namely that the cars lacked energy.
Windsor described the sprint race as “banal and boring”, with limited opportunities for meaningful overtaking. One of the few notable moments came when Charles Leclerc overtook Lando Norris on soft tyres.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, was unable to find a way past Oscar Piastri, while Lewis Hamilton also failed to overtake the Red Bull.
2026 energy management is changing Zandvoort
Windsor was particularly surprised that energy management played such a major role at Zandvoort.
The circuit’s short straights and aerodynamic turbulence already make overtaking difficult, but Windsor had expected its numerous fast corners to make it less dependent on battery deployment than circuits such as Monaco and Hungary.
Instead, he argued that the 2026 regulations have fundamentally changed how drivers approach those corners.
According to Windsor, Verstappen’s lap provided a striking example. He said the Red Bull driver shifted into eighth gear exiting Turn 3 and remained there until braking for Turn 9.
Red Bull’s engineers then instructed Verstappen to “superclip” the section, effectively managing his energy deployment to recover battery power for later in the lap.
That energy could then be deployed exiting Turn 13.
Verstappen’s energy management exposed by speed trap
Windsor believes Red Bull’s approach ultimately compromised Verstappen’s performance.
He pointed to the difference in speed at the start-finish line as evidence that the teams were taking significantly different approaches to energy management.
Verstappen reportedly reached 304 km/h, while pole-sitter Norris recorded 294 km/h. Windsor interpreted the difference as an indication that Red Bull had used more energy earlier in the lap and therefore had a different deployment strategy.
He argued that Red Bull had effectively made a mistake by being too aggressive at the beginning of the lap.
“This is a big shock to me,” Windsor said.
The consequence was that Verstappen suffered more from “superclipping” than he had during sprint qualifying, leaving him compromised when it mattered.
Scheivlak loses its character under 2026 rules
One of Windsor’s biggest concerns was what the energy management requirements are doing to Zandvoort’s most famous corners.
He argued that drivers were effectively able to negotiate Scheivlak on “cruise control”, despite the corner historically being regarded as one of the most challenging sections of the circuit.
The fast section accounts for around 18 percent of a Zandvoort lap, according to Windsor, making the change particularly significant.
His broader argument was that fast corners across Formula 1 are losing some of their character under the 2026 regulations because drivers cannot simply attack every section at maximum commitment.
Instead, energy conservation has become part of the lap-time equation.
Windsor fears Zandvoort has become ‘three straights’
Windsor’s conclusion was particularly damning for a circuit he clearly admires.
He had expected Zandvoort to be an “energy-rich circuit” where drivers could push through its flowing layout. Instead, he said “everyone was stuck” using similar energy-management strategies.
That creates another problem: if drivers are forced into comparable deployment patterns, the performance gaps between teammates can become smaller and overtaking becomes even more difficult.
Windsor said this was something he had expected to see at Spa-Francorchamps because of its unique characteristics, but not at Zandvoort.
His verdict was ultimately one of disappointment rather than criticism of the circuit itself.
“A shame, because it is such a beautiful little circuit,” concluded the racing purist.
The comments highlight a growing question surrounding the 2026 regulations: whether the emphasis on electrical energy management is unintentionally taking away some of the distinctive characteristics that made Formula 1’s fastest corners so spectacular.
Would you like to see more TJ13 Formula 1 coverage? Add us to your favourites list on Google to receive trusted F1 news.
The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
