As the penultimate weekend of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup unfolded, a storm swept across the country, as if the weather wanted to match the intensity of the sessions at Circuit Zandvoort. The entry list was also shaken up at the start of the week, with 28 Porsche race cars ultimately taking on the banked curves, 10 of them piloted by Dutch drivers.

Two of these local heroes had a shot at clinching titles this weekend. Rookie Kas Haverkort came in with a 10-point lead in the Rookie Classification, while Larry ten Voorde had a 7-point cushion in the Overall standings over his closest rival, Harry King (GBR). In the team championship, Schumacher CLRT had a nearly unassailable 48-point lead over BWT Lechner Racing, making the outcome before the final race in Monza almost certain. However, every minute of this race weekend was packed with excitement, a sentiment shared by the over 300,000 fans in attendance. But let’s take it from the top…

Conditions were excellent for Friday afternoon’s Practice Session, even though the North Sea wind was still blowing strongly through the dunes. In their efforts to test the track’s limits, some drivers ended up exceeding them. The Tarzan corner, just after the start-finish straight, saw more than its fair share of cars kicking up gravel. The Hans-Ernst-Bocht, shaped like a question mark, also caught out a few Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, dragging stones back onto the circuit. However, one driver who couldn’t manage a decent lap was none other than championship leader Larry ten Voorde, who spent much of the session stuck in the pits due to a technical issue. The fastest time in practice was set by Robert de Haan (NLD), followed by his fellow Dutchman Jaap van Lagen, who was in for an unforgettable race weekend.

Most drivers hit the track for Saturday afternoon’s qualifying on wet tyres, as the circuit was still damp from the morning’s persistent rain. However, the racing line dried quickly, prompting an early switch to slicks. Larry ten Voorde’s Cup car had received a new engine overnight, so the two-time Supercup champion approached the session cautiously, particularly given his limited practice time. But with his deep familiarity with Zandvoort, it was no surprise that he secured pole position by the end of the session.

The path to pole was, quite literally, a rocky one for Ten Voorde and the rest of the field. Guest driver Jacques Groenewegen (NLD) had scattered gravel across the track after running wide at the Hans-Ernst-Bocht, triggering the first red flag of the session for cleanup. Near the end of qualifying, a second red flag came out when Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti (FRA) clipped the barriers while exiting the pit lane and had to park his car at the side of the track. When the session resumed, only 3 minutes and 16 seconds remained on the clock – barely enough time for an outlap and one final flying lap. With everyone scrambling to improve their positions, it became a matter of luck. Huub van Eijndhoven managed to secure P2 behind Ten Voorde, while Supercup veteran Jaap van Lagen took P3, just ahead of Marvin Klein (FRA). For championship contender Harry King, the session ended in disappointment; stuck in traffic on his last lap, he could only manage a 9th place start. For the race, his mission was clear: overtake as many cars as possible to keep his title hopes alive.

All eyes of the Dutch fans were fixed on the front of the grid as the lights went out on the windy Sunday race. Larry ten Voorde nailed the start and quickly pulled away from the field. Huub van Eijndhoven, however, wasn’t as fortunate; he was overtaken by Jaap van Lagen at the Hugenholtzbocht in a brilliant move by the 47-year-old veteran, who has been racing in the Porsche Supercup since 2007. The action wasn’t confined to the leaders. De Haan squeezed past Haverkort, and Harry King, elbows out, muscled his way past Mathys Jaubert. The French rookie kept his car on track with an impressive drift, showcasing his skill. Not everyone was as lucky: Francesco Braschi (ITA) found himself stuck in the gravel after contact with Ariel Levi (ISR), triggering the first of two Safety Car phases.

After former Porsche Supercup participant and current Safety Car driver Bernd Mayländer exited the circuit, Larry ten Voorde quickly reclaimed the lead. Harry King capitalised on the restart, overtaking Kas Haverkort – putting just four positions between himself and his championship rival. Ahead of him, De Haan pulled off a surprise move on the inside line of the banked Hugenholtz corner, overtaking Klein, who also had to surrender positions to both King and Haverkort. It was not Klein’s day. After a dominant victory at Spa-Francorchamps in the previous race, the French driver went straight on at the Tarzan corner on lap 15 and soon retired, burying his championship hopes.

It was also in the Tarzan corner, where the long-standing duel between Dutch guest drivers Paul Meijer and Niels Troost came to an abrupt end. Troost locked up and got stuck in the gravel, bringing out the Safety Car for the second time. The race was restarted on lap 13, with Larry ten Voorde keeping his cool once again and cruising to a comfortable lights-to-flag victory. Behind him, the field settled into place, but De Haan wasn’t done yet. He launched another attack on Van Eijndhoven at the Tarzan corner, but it wasn’t a clean move – contact was made. As a result, De Haan was forced to hand back third place to the UNISERVER by TEAM GP ELITE driver after the race, following a decision by the stewards.

Harry King, meanwhile, ran out of time to make up any more ground on Ten Voorde. At the finish line, the Dutchman was almost more thrilled about his compatriot Jaap van Lagen’s second-place finish than his own victory – the two celebrated arm-in-arm on the car roof. Van Lagen, for his part, savoured his first Supercup podium since 2018 and couldn't resist comparing himself to a well-known Formula 1 veteran over the team radio after crossing the line.

Race 7 was all about home glory. Five Dutch drivers stood on the podium in Zandvoort, both in the Overall and Rookie Classifications. Only France’s Mathys Jaubert, who claimed P3 among the rookies, broke up the Oranje celebration.

With Klein’s retirement, only two drivers remain in the hunt for the championship title – Larry ten Voorde and Harry King. The Brit enters the final race with a 20-point deficit and will need some help from the championship leader if he hopes to snatch the crown in Monza. In the Rookie Championship, just six points separate leader Kas Haverkort and Robert de Haan in second place.

The team championship was decided in Zandvoort, though not until after the race. The penalty against De Haan cost BWT Lechner Racing crucial points, leaving Schumacher CLRT uncatchable at the top of the standings. However, the celebration will have to wait until Monza, as Côme Ledogar and his team were already en route to Italy or back home when the stewards' decision was made.

So, everything is set for a thrilling finale in Italy. The “Temple of Speed” in Monza awaits. And what better stage could there be for a spectacular conclusion to a top-tier one-make series season than the historic Autodromo Nazionale? Last year’s finale at Monza was one of the most nerve-wracking in Porsche Supercup history – let’s see what this year has in store!