Dutch Grand Prix: Max Verstappen wins a race disrupted by rain, Pierre Gasly on the podium

The F1 made its return this weekend on the iconic Zandvoort circuit, after the summer break. If Max Verstappen secured pole position yesterday in a very close qualifying session, Lando Norris and McLaren have confirmed their status as the second force on the grid. The pleasant surprise also comes from Williams and Alex Albon starting in 4th position.

The rain has completely disrupted everything

At the start of the race, Max Verstappen easily holds onto his first place. The start is rather calm, nobody wants to take too many risks. Just a few seconds after the first few laps, it starts to rain heavily on the track. Some drivers, like those on the first row, react and already stop to switch to intermediate tires. The hierarchy is turned upside down, Sergio Pérez takes the lead. Several showers are expected, so the strategy will revolve around pit stops as the drivers have to manage their tires during the clear spells. One after another, the entire grid comes back in to switch back to slick tires.

Charles Leclerc, who slipped, collides with Oscar Piastri. This minor incident costs him a lot of time as the Monegasque has to come in and change his front wing. Meanwhile, the Australian continues to climb up the standings.

Safety Car after Sargeant’s crash

Pierre Gasly receives a penalty for speeding in the pit lane. A few minutes later, on the 17th lap, Logan Sargeant loses control and crashes into the wall. After a strong performance in qualifying yesterday, where he made it to Q3 for the first time in his young career, the Williams driver had a true nightmare by crashing his car at the end of the session. With this new accident, it seems like fate is against the rookie. The race is neutralized under the safety car. As the safety car pulls away, Verstappen chooses to immediately restart. Alonso and Pérez are neck and neck. Gasly and Sainz are also in close proximity. The race falls into a slow rhythm and on-track movements become increasingly rare. Max Verstappen is leading the race on his own, with a more than three-second lead over his teammate and closest competitor, Sergio Pérez. The world champion is consistently setting the fastest lap times on the track.

As we approach the halfway point, a fierce battle is unfolding between Yuki Tsunoda and Lando Norris for eighth place. The British driver is less than a second behind the Alpha Tauri driver and is not letting him out of his sight, but Tsunoda is holding on.

Third abandonment for Leclerc this season

Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc is in 15th place and is about to be overtaken by Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement, Liam Lawson. The Scuderia driver has been unable to make progress since his wing change. What is happening with the red team? The most likely hypothesis is a mechanical problem. The nightmare comes to an end on the 43rd lap when Leclerc retires. Ferrari announces damages to the floor.

From the 50th lap, a new round of pit stops begins. Fernando Alonso, who was temporarily in second place, has a never-ending pit stop that takes over eight seconds. He comes out behind Sainz and Tsunoda and loses his spot on the podium. Despite this missed pit stop, his tires are performing well and it only takes him a few minutes to regain third place.

At the same time, the clouds are becoming darker and denser. Some drivers, lacking rhythm due to their worn-out tires, are waiting to come in, hoping for the rain that is expected to fall heavily. As predicted, a deluge pours down on Zandvoort just over ten laps before the finish. There is chaos in the pits, as everyone rushes to put on wet tires as soon as possible. Even with intermediate tires, the cars are sliding. Will they have to opt for full wet tires? That is the choice Esteban Ocon makes. The rain keeps intensifying. The track is soaking wet. Pérez makes a mistake in the first corner and is overtaken by Alonso, who takes second place.

Red flag after Zhou’s off-track excursion

Plot twist! Guanyu Zhou’s Alfa Romeo also ends up in the wall. Just as Verstappen was in the pits to put on full wet tires, the race is stopped under a red flag.

On the restart, Pierre Gasly starts in fourth position and can still hope for his first podium of the season. With the removal of the safety car, Fernando Alonso chases Max Verstappen. Sergio Pérez receives a five-second penalty. The podium is within reach for Pierre Gasly. The driver from Normandy must absolutely maintain a gap of less than five seconds with Pérez. At the same time, George Russell goes off track and returns to the pits to retire. The misfortune of some brings joy to others: Esteban Ocon enters the points.

Three times pole man, three times victorious, Verstappen wins at home ahead of Fernando Alonso, second. Pierre Gasly steps on the podium of a Grand Prix for the fourth time in his Formula 1 career.

The results table