Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist in Zandvoort

Image source, BBC Sport

Thursday’s media session in Zandvoort was as up and down as you can get in terms of the weather. One minute the warm sun was shining brightly and the next, thunder claps and heavy showers. Drowned rat was the look of the day.

“I don't think this will be our best track, but there is some weather coming in so that could cause some chaos,” said home hero Max Verstappen, who finished second here last year, more than 20 seconds behind winner Lando Norris in the McLaren.

The conditions for the Dutch Grand Prix will be the talk of the weekend, as rain is expected for every day of track action. Will it cause Belgium-like delays? Fingers crossed for some blue skies.

Image source, BBC Sport

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Lando Norris says he is "ready to go" for what he expects to be "a long, tricky, challenging second part of the season" as Formula 1 resumes after its summer break.

The Briton trails his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by nine points heading into this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix with no other driver realistically in the fight.

Norris has won three of the past four races, riding his luck at times, but dismissed the idea that he had momentum in the championship.

He said: "The deeper meaning [of momentum] is does it give you more confidence and give you more knowledge and give you a better mindset?

"Just the fact of having two good races doesn't mean I'm going to have a third good one."

There are 10 grands prix remaining in the season, which concludes in Abu Dhabi in December.

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist in Zandvoort

The train to Zandvoort is starting to fill up with fans as the opening day of this Dutch Grand Prix begins. There’s a decent mix of teams represented but the bursts of orange - and dark Red Bull tops - are everywhere.

I sat next to three lovely Dutch fellas whose conversation I couldn’t follow even if you paid me. The atmosphere is very pleasant thanks to sunny conditions we’ve woken up to.

How long will the sun last? The rain is forecast later this afternoon, so make the most of it.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Lando Norris probably could have done without the break given he won the last race - the Hungarian Grand Prix.

But the good news is the season resumes for him at a circuit he won at last year.

Friday begins as ever with first practice at 11:30 BST.

Image source, Getty Images

The summer break is over and Formula 1 is back!

The first half of the season has been dominated by McLaren, with Oscar Piastri currently topping the drivers' standings with a nine-point lead over Lando Norris.

Will that dominance continue in the second half of the campaign? And will Norris mount a challenge against his team-mate for the title?

It all kicks off once more with this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.