The summer break may have ended more than week ago, but we’re heading to the beach this weekend for the Dutch Grand Prix in the coastal town of Zandvoort.

So don't pack away your seaside essentials too soon, as you'll be needing a good pair of sandals and some swimming shorts. That bucket and spade could come in handy, too – we used ours to dig through the key statistics from when Zandvoort was originally on the calendar more than three-and-a-half decades ago, which included a legendary former McLaren driver's final Formula 1 victory.

As a classic drivers' circuit with a rollercoaster-like feel on the track, and a party-like atmosphere off it, we were excited to hear the thoughts Lando, Daniel and Andreas Seidl. We've also noted down some tips on what to watch for and what to wear.

Key info

Round	15
Where	Circuit Zandvoort
When	2 - 4 September
Follow	TEAMStream and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

What they say

“Zandvoort, let's go! I really enjoy driving the circuit and I’ve had some decent results there coming through the junior categories. The undulation and turns make it feel like a rollercoaster ride so I’m excited to get out there and give it all we’ve got. It also always has an incredible atmosphere and I like to think that most of the orange is there to support McLaren...

“Last weekend made it clear that we’ve still got a lot of work to do to keep in the fight with the Alpines. I have full faith in the team and know we will do everything we can to push through and be as prepared as we can to keep battling. The next two races are key so let’s keep focused and keep up the hard work.”

“I’m looking forward to Zandvoort. It’s an awesome circuit and has such a fun, almost festival-like atmosphere, which is great for your mood going into the weekend. It’s more of an old-school circuit with interesting features like Tarzan and the ability to overtake there, so I’m excited to get on track and see how different it is from last year in the new cars.

“I’ve spent the last couple of days in Amsterdam resetting, eating stroopwafels, and looking at how we can improve for the coming weekend. Last weekend was not what we wanted it to be, but we’ve bounced back before so we can definitely do the same this time around. We’ve got some good learnings from Spa, which we can use for this weekend so hopefully we come out a bit better and can properly battle with the Alpines.”

“Zandvoort is an incredibly quick circuit and has had some memorable moments over the years. With F1 trialing DRS through the final banked corner for FP1, it should be interesting to see how the new iteration of cars perform and what impact it has on our ability to overtake, especially as the cars can run side by side there. The undulation and swooping sections are also a good feature of the circuit and provide a nice challenge for the drivers.

“We’ve spent the last few days analysing the past weekend and ensuring we learn as much as possible from it. The result in Spa was not what we hoped but we can take these learnings and use them to maximise our package. We need to keep our full focus on making every small gain and pushing the car to get as much as we possibly can out of it. Let’s keep our heads down and get back to it.”

What the stats say

Last year's race marked the 31st edition of the Dutch Grand Prix. We've won three of those, including the last edition of the race prior to its hiatus in 1985.

The '85 victory is also notable as Niki Lauda's last F1 victory, with the Austrian leading home a one-two over team-mate Alain Prost. Prost had won the race in a reverse of that result the year prior, leading Lauda from pole for a McLaren one-two. James Hunt was our first Dutch Grand Prix victor, winning from second on his 29th birthday in 1976.

The track may not have been used during the 21st century until last season, but it's one the vast majority of the grid are familiar with, as a junior series' favourite. Lando took three podiums in three races at the circuit during his European Formula 3 days, with two wins and a P3. Daniel didn't actually compete at the track prior to his F1 debut, but did complete some demo runs in Zandvoort for Red Bull.

Lando and Daniel finished one behind the other in 10th and 11th, respectively, at last year's Dutch Grand Prix with the former up three places after a frustrating qualifying session.

Session times

Free Practice 1	12:30 local / 11:30 BST / 10:30 UTC
Free Practice 2	16:00 local / 15:00 BST / 13:00 UTC
Free Practice 3	12:00 local / 11:00 BST / 10:00 UTC
Qualifying	15:00 local / 14:00 BST / 13:00 UTC
Race	15:00 local / 14:00 BST / 13:00 UTC

What to watch out for

This may only be Zandvoort's second season on the Formula 1 calendar this century, but the Dutch circuit is positively old-school. First opened in 1948, the circuit became a fixture of the F1 calendar in 1952 before dropping off in '85.

Returning last season after a 36-year absence, the track wasn't quite how we'd left it, having undergone a striking modernisation. The track retains its roots as an ultimate test of the driver, with rapid, tight turns, but comes with increased banking at multiple corners.

At 18 degrees, the final corner is now double that of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that our INDYCAR friends compete on. Turn 14 is another that underwent a transformation, with increased banking designed to launch the cars into the pit straight.

In spite of this, the track's narrow nature will still make qualifying key and overtaking tricky, so starting further up the grid will be important, as could gaining a place or two in the pits.

Off the track, the partylike atmosphere created by the energetic Dutch crowd will be something to watch out for, with last year's orange-clad grand prix amongst the events of the year. And did we mention it was on the coast?

What to wear

Not to brag, but we were asked for our fashion advice during the Belgian Grand Prix.

And while we wouldn't ever call ourselves 'fashion experts', we do think we've got a pretty good handle on how to dress for a race weekend, given we've got more than 50 years of experience.

While we'd be loath to trust the weather predictions at this early stage of the week, the current forecasts suggest a mixture of sun and rain… For those of you who took our advice in last week's preview and invested in a water-resistant jacket and an umbrella, you'll be wanting those on you again this week.

Meanwhile, Zandvoort's seaside location – and the current prediction of sunshine – could also see a pair of SunGod shades come in very handy.

McLaren Creators

Every week, our social channels and the MTC post room are chock-a-block with amazing art pieces that our fans have created and sent to us. Going through them always warms our hearts, and so we wanted to share the love.

Whether you're a skilled sketcher, a budding paper mache artist, or prefer to paint by numbers, our new McLaren Creators segment will highlight our favourite pieces from our inspired fanbase.

This week we're spotlighting Sarah's awesome McLaren dolls.

"I am a high school/secondary school history and geography teacher. I have been a motorsports fan for most of my life, having grown up near Indianapolis. I make the dolls that you can see in the images above while watching all of the races! I got started on this path last year after the Monza 1-2! Each doll takes 16 to 18 hours to make. Lando's accessories are a golf club and a computer, Daniel's are headphones and a shoey." 

Want to have your works of art featured in our preview and on our channels? Send us your creations by tagging McLaren and using the hashtag #McLarenCreators.

Plus one

You can up your wall art game with our latest McLaren Plus competition…

To celebrate our founder, Bruce McLaren's birthday on 30 August, we'll be giving away five limited edition automobilist Bruce McLaren posters, designed to mark his first Formula 1 win with McLaren at Spa-Francorchamps in 1968. Signing up couldn't be simpler, just fill in the form here and you'll be entered into the prize draw.

Join the team

McLaren Plus is our free-to-join fan engagement programme, bringing McLaren fans closer to the team with the most inclusive, rewarding and open-to-all fan programmes in motorsport.

Sign up now, or current members can amend their details in the form below if necessary.