Max Verstappen wins F1 Dutch Grand Prix to delight of home crowd

Max Verstappen won the Dutch Grand Prix with a dominant drive from pole position for Red Bull. The Dutchman had formidable pace at Zandvoort and solidly beat Mercedes’ George Russell into second place. However Mercedes provoked anger from Lewis Hamilton when a late strategy call cost the British driver any chance of a podium finish and reduced him to fourth place, from the lead. Charles Leclerc was in third for Ferrari, Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez in fifth and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in sixth.

Strategy had played a key part in the race, where Mercedes looked to have pulled off a masterstroke only for a late safety car to scupper what had been at the very least a solid second and third behind Verstappen. It left Hamilton furious with his team but out front Verstappen had opened an even greater lead in the championship.

This is Verstappen’s 30th win and his second in a row at Zandvoort, his home race. He now has 10 wins this season. With seven meetings to go and after a dominant victory at the last round in Spa from 14th on the grid he has demonstrated that he and Red Bull are almost uncatchable.

The win has further extended his lead in the title race and moved him a step closer to finishing the job sooner rather than later this season. He now leads Leclerc and Pérez by 109 points. He could realistically take his second title as soon as Singapore or Japan in two or three races. Seven remain with 190 points available.

Verstappen made a good start and held his lead on the short drag into turn one, with Leclerc, Carlos Sainz and Hamilton slotting in line astern. Verstappen put a second on Leclerc by lap four but could not drop the Ferrari driver, with Sainz and Hamilton also staying in touch.

Hamilton, who had started on the