There is no bigger stage in one-make racing than the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, and this weekend it rolled into the Netherlands for a special occasion. Zandvoort hosted a rare double-header, the only event of the season to feature two races and the circuit's final appearance on the Supercup calendar, with up to 50 points on offer across the weekend. For our driver Dirk Schouten, it meant one thing: two chances to shine in front of a passionate home crowd on a packed Formula 1 weekend.
Qualifying: one great lap, one that got away
After a tricky free practice, the team made the right changes heading into qualifying, and Dirk rewarded them with a strong single lap. The margin at the front was razor thin, and he ended up just 0.14 seconds off second place, good enough to line up seventh for Race 1.
His second flying lap, which sets the grid for the Sunday race, was unfortunately deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 3. It would have been ninth on the grid for Race 2. Instead, Dirk would start that race down in twentieth. He held his hands up and owned the mistake, then turned his focus straight to the races. The mission was clear: nail the starts and go on the attack.
Race 1: a rocket start and a strong points haul
Dirk did exactly that. A superb getaway launched him from seventh to fifth on the opening lap, and from there he settled into strong pace and took the fight to the leading group. This is a category where the racing is hard and door to door, and he was pushed onto the grass more than once, but he stayed in the mix throughout. He brought the car home seventh, a solid points finish and, in his own words, a race he thoroughly enjoyed.
Race 2: from twentieth to tenth
Sunday was always going to be the tougher assignment. Starting twentieth at a circuit as difficult to overtake on as Zandvoort, simply reaching the top ten was an ambitious target, and one that needed a lot to go his way.
It did, and Dirk made it count. Another sharp start set the tone, and with plenty of incidents unfolding ahead, he was in the right place to capitalise. His pace was strong throughout, and even as his tyres faded badly in the closing stages, he held on to complete a hard-earned climb from twentieth to tenth. Two points finishes from a weekend that started with a grid setback is a serious return.
Getting stronger every time
Racing in front of his home fans was a special experience, and Dirk soaked up every moment of it. More than that, the weekend showed a driver who is finding more and more in race trim, converting difficult starting positions into real results.
With only the Monza finale left to come, the momentum is building at just the right time. A big thank you to everyone who cheered him on at Zandvoort. We keep pushing.