Max Verstappen equals Sebastian Vettel's record of nine successive Formula 1 wins with victory at the Dutch Grand Prix; Fernando Alonso claims second for Aston Martin and Pierre Gasly claims his first Alpine podium in dramatic rain-hit race
Sunday 27 August 2023 18:59, UK
Max Verstappen won a chaotic rain-hit Dutch Grand Prix to claim a record-equalling ninth successive Formula 1 victory.
Red Bull's Verstappen overcame huge downpours at both the start and towards the end of his home race to match the record Sebastian Vettel set with the same team in 2013.
Fernando Alonso took second for Aston Martin, while Pierre Gasly claimed his first podium for Alpine in third after benefitting from a penalty for Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who was demoted to fourth.
Verstappen had claimed pole in a wet-dry qualifying session on Saturday but quickly lost his lead as heavy rain during the first lap led to a major reshuffle of the order, as the track became more suited to intermediate tyres than the slicks the entire field had started on.
Perez, who was one of seven drivers to pit at the end of the first lap, claimed the lead as he scythed through the field, but Verstappen, who came out in 13th after stopping a lap later, would quickly work his way back up to second.
With the rain having relented and the surface once more favouring slick tyres, Verstappen was able to reclaim the lead as he pitted on lap 11 to benefit from an undercut on Perez, who emerged in second when he stopped a lap later.
Verstappen looked to be cruising towards victory as he opened up a 10-second lead over Perez, before another heavy band of rain hit the coastal town with 12 laps remaining.
Chaos ensued as a heavier shower than the one at the start saw drivers stop for intermediate - or in some cases wet - tyres, before cars began to aquaplane on the main straight, with a heavy crash for Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu prompting a red flag.
Following a delay of more than 40 minutes, Verstappen calmly controlled a rolling restart on intermediate tyres to ease almost four seconds clear of Alonso in the five laps that remained.
The main drama at the restart came as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz held off Lewis Hamilton for fifth, with the Mercedes driver unable to crown an impressive comeback drive from 13th on the grid.
McLaren's Lando Norris salvaged seventh having dropped down the field from second on the grid amid the early drama, but a late collision with fellow Brit George Russell meant the Mercedes driver was left pointless having started third.
Alex Albon capped an impressive weekend by taking eighth for Williams ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, while Esteban Ocon completed a strong day for Alpine by claiming the final point.
Verstappen will have the opportunity at next weekend's Italian Grand Prix to move beyond the nine successive wins Sebastian Vettel recorded for Red Bull in 2013.
The victory also maintained Red Bull's record of having won every race this season, with the team's record run of victories, which stretches back to the final race of 2022, now at 14.
Verstappen's latest triumph takes the 25-year-old closer to a third successive drivers' title, extending his advantage over Perez to 138 points with nine races remaining.
Dutch GP result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
3) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
4) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
6) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
7) Lando Norris, McLaren
8) Alex Albon, Williams
9) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
10) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
The excitement among Verstappen's loyal supporters had grown throughout the weekend, with the circuit having been packed out since practice began on Friday.
However, the scenes in the hour before the race began were unquestionably special, with the fans in the grandstands overlooking the grid creating a spectacular atmosphere as they waved the flags to the constant sound of electronic music.
The rain, which had defied overnight forecasts to largely stay away in the build-up to the race, finally arrived at the worst possible time for the pole-sitter.
The showers began on the formation lap, and by the time the race began, the surface was slippery.
Verstappen opted to stay out in the lead rather than risk coming in and the rain stopping, but by the time he came to the end of the second lap, it was clear a change of tyres was necessary.
While others may have been flustered to have lost 12 places, Verstappen calmly set about working his way forward.
After he effortlessly returned to second, he closed the 10-second lead Perez had built at a stunning rate, and while the Mexican appeared to question being undercut, Verstappen appeared to have more than enough pace to pass his team-mate on track if required.
Verstappen's domination has been made all the more impressive by the wet conditions he has repeatedly had to overcome this season, and the second deluge halted his home race celebrations.
Once again, his calmness was apparent. While others struggled, with Perez going off track to give up second to Alonso, Verstappen kept the RB19 on track.
He had even built a big enough margin to make a second stop for full wet tyres as the rain intensified, while Perez incurred a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane when attempting to do the same thing.
Alonso, who drove expertly to end Aston Martin's streak of four races without a podium, briefly threatened at the restart, but Verstappen saw off the challenge before cruising to the chequered flag.
"(It was) Incredible," Verstappen said. "They didn't make it easy for us with the weather to make all the right calls. (I'm) incredibly proud.
"Even with all the bad weather, the rain, the fans are still going at it. So an incredible atmosphere.
"I'm going to enjoy this weekend. It's always tough. The pressure is on to perform and I'm very happy to win here."
Further back, Hamilton's performance left Mercedes pondering what might have been for them on a more routine weekend.
The seven-time world champion had impressed in practice before only managing a disappointing 13th in qualifying, while team-mate Russell had taken third on the grid.
Both were handicapped by poor decision-making in the opening laps, as amid concern that the rain might relent, Mercedes waited until the third lap to pit Hamilton despite the Brit having nothing to lose.
The indecision left Hamilton running in 16th, but it was even worse for Russell, who only pitted after four laps and dropped behind his team-mate to 18th.
"I think we stayed out catastrophically too long," Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said. "We got it completely wrong and it is annoying because the car had real pace."
Both fought back gamely in the middle part of the race to position themselves in the top 10 when the final restart began.
While Hamilton was denied fifth by some gutsy defence from Sainz, Russell suffered a puncture after colliding with Norris during an attempted overtake, leaving him to fall to the back of the field.
There was similar woe for Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, whose retirement with floor damage ended a torrid afternoon, of which the penultimate act was being overtaken by the AlphaTauri of debutant Liam Lawson for 15th.
Lawson, who was driving in place of the injured Daniel Ricciardo after the Australian broke a bone in has hand during practice on Friday, ultimately finished 13th in a very respectable first F1 outing.
With Ricciardo having undergone surgery, the New Zealander will drive for AlphaTauri once more in Italy next weekend.
There is no time for breath as the action resumes next weekend at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
All eyes will be on Verstappen as he attempts to create history with a 10th successive race victory.
Also under the microscope will be Ferrari, who face increased pressure to produce a strong display in front of the tifosi.
Monza will be the final European race of the season, before F1 heads around the globe for the final eight races of the season, starting with a double-header in Singapore and Japan.
