His home race, his party in orange, his victory in the rain on the North Sea. Max Verstappen triumphs and equals an old Formula 1 record from Sebastian Vettel. Despite all the rain.
Max Verstappen did not let a late cloudburst over Zandvoort with a 43-minute race break stop him from his renewed triumph at the home Grand Prix.
At the permanent orange party with final fireworks, the Red Bull driver also equaled Sebastian Vettel’s ten-year record of victory. The two-time Formula 1 world champion delivered another demonstration of power at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday in front of around 100,000 spectators – most of them in the national color. “The weather didn’t make it easy for us today,” laughed Verstappen over the radio.
As in 2021, he won from pole position when the dune circuit returned to the racing calendar after 36 years and a year ago. He continued his streak after the summer break and with his ninth win in a row celebrated as many as Vettel did in the Red Bull in the 2013 season. With his tenth win in the 13th race this year, Verstappen also extended his lead in the World Championship out of.
Verstappen masters rain challenge
Second was veteran Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin ahead of Pierre Gasly in the Alpine car. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez couldn’t get past fourth place after a late five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. In the standings, Verstappen now leads the Mexican with 138 points.
As soon as the red lights went out, it started raining. Verstappen initially defended his first starting place, the 28th of his career. There was a lot going on behind it. But things got really hectic immediately afterwards. Red Bull immediately called Pérez into the pits, Verstappen had previously driven through while in the lead. How risky it can be on the slippery course with its steep curves had already become clear during training.
Verstappen preferred to steer his RB19 carefully and in a controlled manner through the curves – on the shortest route to a tire change. Mixed tires instead of slicks. Verstappen settled into midfield, more than 20 seconds behind Pérez, who was now in the lead. Time for a Verstappen show. Much to the delight of the fans and also the Dutch royal couple. Lap by lap he reduced the deficit and conceded one after the other. The track dried up, got faster again and got more grip.
When Verstappen was already in second place behind his Mexican stable rival, he came into the pits again: There was again the fastest tire compound, the one without profile. A lap later, Red Bull Pérez called in, his lead gone when he got back on track. He was more than three and a half seconds behind Verstappen, for whom the rain challenge should have been a welcome change in his undisputed dominance.
Sargeant’s crash caused a safety car phase
He won ten of the twelve Grand Prix before the summer break. His series began with the spectacle in Miami on May 7th. Ten years ago, a Red Bull Sebastian Vettel also had nine victories in a row. After the fifth triumph in a row “or something like that”, Hesse Verstappen had already written a message this year. “Well done” and he should continue like this was Vettel’s message: Then Verstappen can do it.
After all, the wildly changeable weather in his home country didn’t make it that easy for the Dutchman. After 15 laps, a crash involving the American Logan Sargeant in the Williams resulted in a safety car phase, and the race became a challenge, especially for the newcomers to the season. Especially for racing debutant Liam Lawson, who was allowed to train after Daniel Ricciardo’s metacarpal fracture. In the end, he even finished 14th in the Alpha Tauri. The only German in the field, veteran Nico Hülkenberg, finished twelfth in the first race after extending his contract with Haas.
Verstappen set the pace in front. After winning in 2021 and 2022, he caused a storm of enthusiasm in the packed ranks again this year. He easily left the pursuers around Pérez behind at the start of the race. But it still wasn’t over. Verstappen didn’t seem to like it either.
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Verstappen show in Zandvoort: Vettel record set
The rain degenerated into a downpour, and the rain tires that Verstappen was now driving were of no use. Lap 65 of 72: Red flags, race halted. Booming basses kept the fans in high spirits, marshals danced a polonaise, but in the pit lane there was maximum tension among the drivers before the restart after a long forced break. Two laps behind the safety car, then it started again. And again Verstappen defended his lead. In just one week in Monza he can become the sole record holder and overtake Vettel.