Author Profile: Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

F1 Journalist

30356 published articles
16 Oct 2026 latest publication

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

Latest story: Court order pulls Mercedes into Antonelli's contract fight

Jos revives old 'junk' joke about Zandvoort

Jos Verstappen once dismissed Zandvoort as 'old junk' - now, with Formula 1 gone again, the joke echoes into an uncertain future for the...

0 comments  | 
25 Aug 2026

Stroll Slams Stewards After Rivals Escape Red Light Penalty

Lance Stroll repeatedly demanded a stop-and-go for two rivals who passed a red pit exit light during the Dutch Grand Prix restart, but the...

1 comments  | 
25 Aug 2026

Leclerc's Ignored Pit Calls Leave Hamilton Fuming at Ferrari

Charles Leclerc waved away two separate instructions to pit while holding up Lewis Hamilton, prompting a sarcastic radio message from his team mate and...

2 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Piastri 'Has No Answers' as Norris Reads Tricky Tyres to Perfection

Oscar Piastri looked set for a podium before his pace fell off a cliff, while team mate Lando Norris used the same unpredictable tyres...

0 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Hamilton frustrated as Mercedes nails team orders

Russell queried the call on the radio but backed it after the race - while at Ferrari, Hamilton wondered aloud why his own team...

3 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Verstappen escapes injury in heavy Zandvoort crash

A violent first-lap smash ended Verstappen's Dutch Grand Prix early, but Red Bull say the Dutchman escaped unscathed and will be back in the...

1 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Mekies dismisses talk of Hadjar losing Red Bull seat

Stand-in performances from Lawson and Tsunoda fuelled seat-swap chatter, but Mekies says Hadjar's season has done nothing to shake Red Bull's faith in him.

0 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Tsunoda pitches himself to F1's 2027 market

Four races in eight months hasn't dulled Tsunoda's pace. After an impressive stand-in weekend at Zandvoort, he's making sure every team with a 2027...

3 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Alonso encouraged by Aston chassis, not Honda engine

Alonso scored two points at Zandvoort and liked what he felt from Aston Martin's new chassis - but says Honda's revised engine has taken...

0 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Yas Marina pushes back on F1 calendar doubts

Abu Dhabi says its season-ending race is safe, but lingering doubts over the Gulf swing have already got people talking about Zandvoort as a...

4 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Ralf Schumacher warns Audi needs F1 results soon

Audi has climbed into the midfield and scored its first points, but Ralf Schumacher warns that patience at a crisis-hit Volkswagen Group won't last...

0 comments  | 
24 Aug 2026

Race Report & Results 2026 Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix

Event: Dutch Grand PrixTrack: Zandvoort circuit Weather: dry 19°CTarmac: dry 32°CHumidity : 55%Wind : 6.4 km/h EastPressure: 1025 mbar Lando Norris won his 13th Formula 1 race...

6 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Russell: Title Is Mine to Gain, Not Lose

George Russell went into the summer break inconsistent. He has come out of it beating the championship leader in his own garage. George Russell...

0 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Sick Verstappen Admits Red Bull's Problems Are Fundamental

Max Verstappen is ill, seventh on the grid at home, and unusually blunt about why the RB22 is not fixed. Max Verstappen has revealed...

0 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Domenicali Hints V8 Engines Could Return by 2030

Verstappen signed until 2030. Formula 1's next engine era may now arrive in exactly the same year. Stefano Domenicali has hinted that Max Verstappen's...

1 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Wolff Keeps Door Open for Verstappen After 2030 Deal

Toto Wolff calls Max Verstappen's Red Bull extension logical. He also refuses to say the story is finished. Toto Wolff says Max Verstappen's decision...

0 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Stroll Slams Honda Drivability as Aston Upgrade Falls Short

Aston Martin waited all summer for Honda's Spec 2. One qualifying session later, Lance Stroll called it a lottery. Honda's heavily anticipated engine upgrade...

0 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Sainz: Part Quality Is Williams' Biggest Weakness

Williams built the parts. Williams cannot explain why they do not all behave the same. That, says Carlos Sainz, is the real problem. Carlos...

0 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Ocon Blames Haas Car Lottery for Bearman Comparison

Two identical cars. Two different answers. Esteban Ocon says that, not his driving, is the story of his season. Esteban Ocon believes his improved...

1 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Train Chaos Strands Fans at Zandvoort's Final Dutch GP

Zandvoort sold out its farewell weekend. Getting there turned into the hardest part of the day. Formula 1's final Dutch F1 GP at Zandvoort...

1 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Starting Grid 2026 Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix

Event: Dutch Grand Prix Track: Circuit Zandvoort Warm-up lap starts at: 15:00 Local | 15:00 CET | 14:00 UK | 06:00 LA | 22:00...

4 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Bottas: My 2027 Cadillac Ticket Is Already Booked

A winless season, no points, a new team boss and a rookie waiting in the wings. Valtteri Bottas sounds entirely unbothered. Valtteri Bottas has...

1 comments  | 
23 Aug 2026

Qualifying Results & Report 2026 Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix

Event: Dutch Grand Prix Track: Circuit Zandvoort Weather: Clouded & dry 33°C Tarmac: dry 18°C Humidity: 31% Wind: 9 km/h South East Lando Norris...

0 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026

Sprint Race Results & Report 2026 Dutch F1 Grand Prix

Event: Dutch Grand Prix Track: Circuit Zandvoort Weather: Clouded & dry  18°C Tarmac: dry  26°C Humidity: 31% Wind: 6.1 km/h South East Pressure: 1010 mb Russell...

0 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026

Wolff Laughs Off Verstappen Deal as Mercedes Moves On

Five years of chasing ended with someone else's signature. At Zandvoort, the man who wanted Max Verstappen most had almost nothing left to say....

2 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026

Marquez Advice Kept Hadjar Out of Zandvoort?

A hairline crack, a boxing session and a phone call from a MotoGP champion. That is how Isack Hadjar lost his Dutch Grand Prix....

4 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026

Alonso Heads to Lunch With Stroll Over 2027 Future

No deadline, no ultimatum, just lunch. Fernando Alonso is about to decide his Formula 1 future over coffee with the man who owns the...

1 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026

Komatsu Slams Steiner Claim That Gene Haas Lost Interest

Gunther Steiner said the owner had stopped caring. His successor took about one syllable to disagree. Esteban Ocon's future at Haas remains uncertain as...

1 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026

Norris Rejects Party-Boy Image After His World Title

One photo, one live stream, one very sober world champion. Lando Norris says the version of him circulating online is a fiction. Lando Norris...

0 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026

Hockenheim Cools German GP Talk: 'No New Prospects'

Germany builds the engines, supplies the teams and fills the grandstands abroad. It still has no Grand Prix, and nobody involved sounds close to...

1 comments  | 
22 Aug 2026