List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

Charles Leclerc insists he would “love to stay” at Ferrari for the foreseeable future but insists extending his contract beyond 2024 is not a “priority” at the moment. Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019 from Alfa Romeo and made an immediate impression on the tifosi fanbase, winning their home Italian Grand Prix at Monza as well as the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa. After a few forlorn years, 2022 saw the Scuderia challenge at the top again – with Leclerc winning two of the first three races – before Red Bull stole a march and cruised to championship glory as Ferrari saw their tilt fade away due to reliability and strategic errors. This season has seen Ferrari, if anything, take a step backwards and as a result Leclerc has been linked with a move to Mercedes – even in a potentially astonishing swap deal with Lewis Hamilton – but the Monegasque driver was keen to emphasise his heart remains with Ferrari. “I have always loved Ferrari and I would love to stay,” he told the BBC. "I’ve always made it very clear that my goal is to try to be a world champion, but firstly with Ferrari. I know how difficult it is. We are not in the easiest situation. There is a big gap to fill to get to Red Bull’s level but Ferrari has helped me before I got into F1, believed in me and put me into the Ferrari seat very early on, and it’s always a team that I’ve loved. "My priority is to win with Ferrari and it is not my worry whether I won’t achieve it or whatever. We just need to work on the team and try to improve it as much as possible, and I hope that I can achieve that one day." Leclerc has a contract with Ferrari until the end of the 2024 season but insists a long-term extension is not in his or the team’s thinking right now. "Honestly, I am not in a rush,” he said. “I don’t think Ferrari’s priority is signing me at the moment, which is understandable because we are all just focused on trying to have the best race car possible as quickly as possible.” Leclerc has not won a race since last July in Austria, with his best finish this year two third-place podiums in Azerbaijan and Belgium. The 25-year-old is sixth in the driver standings on 99 points, a mammoth of 240 points behind runaway championship leader Max Verstappen. “We expected a good step forward [this year],” he added. "But unfortunately Red Bull had done twice the step, especially in the race, and that was just not good enough from our side. I don’t think we underachieved. I think just the targets were not the right ones." Leclerc and his team-mate Carlos Sainz will be eyeing a strong showing at Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix, at Monza this weekend. Read More How does Max Verstappen’s win-streak compare to fellow record-holder Sebastian Vettel’s? F2 champion Felipe Drugovich to feature for Aston Martin at Italian Grand Prix Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ How does Verstappen’s win-streak compare to fellow record-holder Vettel’s? F2 champion Felipe Drugovich to feature for Aston Martin at Italian Grand Prix Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’

It’s nine on the spin for Max. Even two separate downpours of blustery rain across the sand dunes of Zandvoort – and a late red flag – could not send the flying Dutchman off route. Victory at the Dutch Grand Prix saw Verstappen leave where he left off before the summer break: the faultless displays of driving just keep on coming. It was a victory which put him level with Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine Formula 1 wins in a row. Alberto Ascari achieved the same in 1952-1953, though is technically written out of the record books after not entering the Indianapolis 500, which was part of the drivers’ championship back then. Verstappen will be eyeing a record-breaking 10th win this weekend at Monza. Vettel, now retired but as ever a man with a wise foresight, saw it coming a few months back. “I think at five wins in a row or something, Seb text me and said ‘well done, keep it up’ and something like ‘you’re going to do it’”, Verstappen revealed, after qualifying on Saturday. “It’s not something I have constantly [thought] like ‘I need to do this.’ I’m not in this sport to try and break records. I’m just here to win in the moment.” Though seemingly not focused on records himself, in the end Verstappen could not avoid the talk. While No 10 seems almost an inevitability this coming Sunday, the joint record-holders for the time being pose an interesting thought: whose streak – set at the heights of their career for the same Red Bull team – is more impressive? First, to Vettel. His 2013 win-streak saw him propel to a fourth consecutive drivers’ title – a feat Verstappen will now have half-an-eye on for 2024. The German won the last nine races of the 2013 season, from Belgium to Brazil, squashing Fernando Alonso’s hopes of an inaugural Ferrari crown in the process. Alonso, incidentally, was also runner-up on Sunday in Zandvoort; why is it that the Spaniard always emerges second-best? There is an argument Vettel’s aura of supremacy at the end of the season – just when he needed it – gives him an edge over Verstappen’s current run, with the Dutchman’s world title long wrapped up. Peaking and winning when championships are firmly on the line, against a playing field more level in performance, is the ultimate sign of superiority. That being said, he did secure the world title in race six of his nine wins, in India, with the pressure off for the final three races. As for Verstappen, his win-streak started in Miami in May when he overtook team-mate Sergio Perez in the closing laps for victory. He has not looked back. Even on occasions where he hasn’t started on pole – such as Hungary and Belgium – his ascent to the front has been rapid. No car can compete with Verstappen’s RB19 race-pace, to the extent that by and large no driver is even trying to fend off the Dutchman. The weather is not playing the part hoped, either, for the rest of the grid. Since Azerbaijan in April, every race weekend has seen rain fall. Usually a pointer for unpredictability, Verstappen has not been derailed by any in-race chaos, as shown in Zandvoort on Sunday. As well as the machinery, Red Bull’s strategy is more efficient than the rest of the pack too. But while his numbers are currently impressive, the forecast looks even more overbearing. Verstappen is on track to become the first driver to win over 80% of races in a single season, with Ascari’s 75% in 1952 (when there were only eight races) the current benchmark. His two-out-of-three wins in sprint races – as well as six out of 13 extra points for the fastest lap – means he has won nearly 94% of total points available. That’s 339 out of a possible 362 – a staggering statistic. “It’s something I never thought was possible,” said Verstappen upon matching Vettel’s record. But Verstappen is redefining what is possible, failing to put a foot wrong on his relentless march to this season’s championship. The margin of victory in most of the races points to a driver and team who are simply unstoppable. A 10th victory in a row will overtake Vettel’s tally – and he could secure the title as early as Japan at the end of September. It has left the rest of the grid concerningly looking ahead. Will Red Bull be the first team ever to win every race in a single season? Will Verstappen’s domination continue all the way until the next set of regulations, in 2026? Time will tell, but it will take some reversal from the challengers to swing the pendulum back in their favour. Read More Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Max Verstappen’s achievements are still underestimated, says rival Max Verstappen survives dramatic rain chaos to claim record-equalling victory at Dutch GP F2 champion Felipe Drugovich to feature for Aston Martin at Italian Grand Prix Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Christian Horner hails ‘untouchable’ Max Verstappen as best driver in the world

Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich will replace Lance Stroll for first practice at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. Brazilian driver Drugovich, who joined Aston as a test and reserve driver after winning the F2 championship last year, will take one of Aston’s prerequisite rookie practice slots at Monza. Drugovich has happy memories of Monza as it was the track where he clinched the F2 title last year. It will be the 23-year-old’s second taste of action behind the AMR23, having previously filled in for Stroll during pre-season testing in Bahrain after the Canadian injured his wrists a few weeks before the 2023 season. “The car felt great when I drove it in pre-season testing and it will be fascinating to feel how it has improved since then,” said Drugovich. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator helping to develop the car so understanding how that correlates to the real thing will be super valuable for me too. “It’s also a fantastic opportunity for me to demonstrate what I’ve learnt through my testing programme. Since Bahrain I’ve done many more miles in an F1 car so I have an even better understanding of how I can deliver valuable feedback for the team.” All 10 teams are required to fill one FP1 slot per season with a rookie opportunity per car. Robert Shwartzman replaced Carlos Sainz for Ferrari last week in Zandvoort. Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack added: “We are delighted to provide Felipe with another opportunity to drive the AMR23. “He demonstrated his capabilities in pre-season testing, with a vital contribution to the team’s initial development of the car. “Monza will offer another chance for Felipe to work closely with the engineers and mechanics and build his confidence in a Read More Max Verstappen’s achievements are still underestimated, says rival Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Christian Horner hails ‘untouchable’ Max Verstappen as best driver in the world Lewis Hamilton says ‘totally wrong’ weather forecast cost Mercedes a podium spot

Toto Wolff insists any view of George Russell dramatically losing form in 2023 is a “myth” as the Mercedes boss defended his driver. Russell, in his first season with Mercedes, finished above team-mate Lewis Hamilton in 2022 by 35 points – and also won the first F1 race of his career in Brazil – but has seen the roles reverse this year. The 25-year-old is currently seventh in the world championship standings, 57 points behind Hamilton, and retired late on in Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix due to a puncture caused by a tangle with Lando Norris. Yet Wolff believes talk of Russell’s under-performance in the first 13 races of this season have been exaggerated. “I’ve never bought into this thought,” Wolff said, after Sunday’s race. “When you and I are having a bad day, nobody knows, but if a driver has a bad day and he’s probably a tenth off, that makes all the difference in qualifying. “So all drivers have days that are not so good and we’ve seen these ups and downs with George but the quality of the driver I’ve never doubted a minute. “He was able to shine [in qualifying], put the car on P3, had a problem-free qualifying and no traffic so I haven’t seen any pattern change. “I’m trying to really bang it into his head that he hasn’t lost his form, that it is just the myth that he’s making up. “You don’t unlearn to driver and you don’t lose your form. You can have ups and downs like all of us have but every single weekend when things have gone against him, it was pretty clear why that was and it wasn’t the driving.” Russell has a chance to get back to points-scoring finishes this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Read More Lewis Hamilton says ‘totally wrong’ weather forecast cost Mercedes a podium spot Max Verstappen survives dramatic rain chaos to claim record-equalling victory at Dutch GP Christian Horner hails ‘untouchable’ Max Verstappen as best driver in the world Christian Horner hails ‘untouchable’ Max Verstappen as best driver in the world Lewis Hamilton says ‘totally wrong’ weather forecast cost Mercedes a podium spot Max Verstappen survives dramatic rain chaos to triumph at Dutch Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso believes Max Verstappen’s record-equalling Formula One reign has been underestimated. Verstappen matched Sebastian Vettel’s all-time streak of nine consecutive wins with a brilliant display in Sunday’s wet-dry-wet Dutch Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver is 138 points clear at the summit of the world championship and could close out his third title as early as next month. Earlier this season, Lewis Hamilton described Verstappen’s Red Bull machine as the fastest car he has ever seen. But during Verstappen’s run of nine in a row, team-mate Sergio Perez – the only other driver to win a race in 2023 – has finished off the podium five times. And double world champion Alonso, runner-up to Verstappen in Zandvoort, said: “It is underestimated what Max is achieving. To win in such a dominant way in any professional sport is so complicated. “Today I felt connected with the car and that I was able to give 100 per cent of my abilities but perhaps at other races in Belgium or Austria, for example, I wasn’t able to do that. “But Max is achieving 100 per cent more often than the rest of us at the moment, and that is why he is dominating.” Since he claimed his maiden title at the controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi race in 2021, Verstappen has won 26 of the 35 races staged. In his last 24 appearances, Verstappen has failed to win just four times. He has triumphed at 11 of the 13 rounds so far this year. On Sunday night, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner lauded his star driver as “simply untouchable”. Hamilton’s Mercedes team secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships before Red Bull returned to the top. Hamilton won six titles in seven seasons, but he was never able to win more than five races in a row. Michael Schumacher managed seven straight victories for Ferrari during his stranglehold of the sport at the turn of the century. And Verstappen, 25, said: “There have been more dominant cars in the past than we have at the moment, and they haven’t been able to win nine in a row. “It is hard and, especially in the rain, it’s easy to make a wrong call or spin into the gravel. So, it’s never that straightforward.” Verstappen will bid to secure his 10th consecutive win at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How Max Verstappen equalled Sebastien Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in F1 history – Lando Norris

Lewis Hamilton said he “paid the price” for Mercedes’ strategy blunder at the start of Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix. Following a first-lap downpour in Zandvoort, Mercedes were too slow to put both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell on the intermediate tyres. The poorly-timed stops left Hamilton and Russell – who was third on the grid – 13th and 17th when the order shuffled out. “We should have pitted, but we didn’t, and we paid the price for that,” said Hamilton who eventually crossed the line sixth as Max Verstappen claimed his ninth win in succession. “Today I had the pace, and I was on pace with Max, but we were just out of position. “I was pretty happy with my drive to back into the points. I got sixth. But it could have been higher, for sure.” Sergio Perez started seventh but assumed the lead of the race after he was called in by his quick-thinking Red Bull team on the first lap. With the rain still falling, Verstappen, quite rightly, stopped the next time round but Russell stayed out on the slick rubber despite the worsening conditions. Hamilton, who started 13th, was also sent round for another lap despite the seven-time world champion’s obvious concerns. “We should have come in, man,” said Hamilton over the radio. “It is very wet.” “Copy, Lewis,” said his race engineer Peter Bonnington. “We’re going to stay out. We’re going to have to brave this.” But at the end of the third lap, Hamilton was in for wet tyres. He rejoined the track in last place. Russell was still sliding around on slicks before he was changed on to the wet rubber at the end of lap four. “I was forecast a podium,” said Russell on the radio. “F***, how did we mess this up?” Russell was classified 17th after he collided with Norris in the closing stages and sustained a left-rear puncture. “The race was over before it really got started,” said the 25-year-old Englishman. “The information we got about the weather was totally wrong. “We thought the rain would last a couple of minutes but it clearly lasted for longer. It was a real shame. A podium was missed. “As a team we need to review because we are getting the information coming into us and it was misjudging the weather. It is not anything to do with racing or engineering. It was just a weather misinterpretation and that ruined our afternoon. “So we need to look into that, to see why the others decided to pit and what information they had that we didn’t, and make sure we don’t make the same mistake again.” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “That was a difficult day for us. In the opening 15 laps, we got pretty much everything wrong that we could have done – and that cost us any chance of fighting for the podium. We will review thoroughly.” Read More Christian Horner hails ‘untouchable’ Max Verstappen as best driver in the world How Max Verstappen equalled Sebastien Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins F1 Dutch Grand Prix LIVE: Race result and reaction from Zandvoort Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen claims pole position at home Dutch GP as Lewis Hamilton falters Max Verstappen on top in wet final practice at Zandvoort

Christian Horner has hailed “untouchable” Max Verstappen as the best driver in the world after the Red Bull star overcame a chaotic rain-hit Dutch Grand Prix to equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine wins in a row. Despite two separate downpours wreaking havoc at the beginning and conclusion of Sunday’s 72-lap race in Zandvoort, Verstappen delivered in front of 105,000 expectant fans to take the chequered flag ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, with Pierre Gasly completing the podium. Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, slapped with a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit-lane, finished fourth while Lewis Hamilton – who bemoaned his Mercedes team’s poor strategy in the inclement conditions – came home in sixth place. Verstappen, who has won 11 of the 13 rounds so far, will head to next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza 138 points clear in the drivers’ championship. There remains an outside chance he could complete his hat-trick of titles at the Japanese Grand Prix on September 24 with half-a-dozen rounds still to run. “Max is in a period of his career where he is just simply untouchable,” said Red Bull team principal Horner, who oversaw Vettel’s streak of nine straight wins a decade ago. “I don’t think there is any driver on the grid that would be able to achieve what he is doing in that car. “To win nine races in a row is insane, and it is something that none of us would have envisaged, and I never thought we would repeat it after we managed it with Sebastian. What we are witnessing is a driver that is generational. “Max has been in incredible form for the past three years, and the most impressive thing for me is all the pressure that he is under here. “With the expectation of 100,000 Dutch fans, a lot would have cracked under that pressure, but he kept his composure and delivered, as he has done so many times.” Come wind, rain or shine, 25-year-old Verstappen is the man for all occasions. On pole, he found himself down in 13th place after seven drivers – including team-mate Perez – took advantage of a sudden first-lap downpour to move on to wet tyres. But by lap 13, Verstappen – who at one stage was lapping his home track four seconds faster than Perez and two seconds quicker than anybody else – was back in the lead. His record-equalling feat was placed in doubt when the rain returned with vengeance with a dozen laps to go, and Zhou Guanyu crashed out, and the race was stopped. A 43-minute delay and six-lap dash to the chequered flag followed, but Verstappen denied Alonso any hope of taking his first win in a decade with an assured drive. He finished 3.7 sec clear of the Spaniard. As Verstappen ensured Red Bull’s unbeaten run remained, Hamilton’s afternoon was scuppered by Mercedes’ dithering following the first-lap downpour. Hamilton was not called in for wet tyres until the end of lap three with team-mate George Russell following in on the next lap. When the dust settled, Hamilton and Russell, who started third, were 16th and 18th respectively. From there it was a damage-limitation exercise for both men, with Hamilton driving well to take sixth place. Russell might have finished seventh but for a late duel with countryman Lando Norris leaving him with race-ending harm to his Mercedes. Norris crossed the line in seventh place. Read More Max Verstappen survives dramatic rain chaos to triumph at Dutch Grand Prix F1 Dutch Grand Prix LIVE: Race result and reaction from Zandvoort Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen claims pole position at home Dutch GP as Lewis Hamilton falters Max Verstappen on top in wet final practice at Zandvoort Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in F1 history – Lando Norris

Max Verstappen equalled Formula One’s all-time record of nine consecutive race wins in his home Dutch Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver matched Sebastian Vettel’s achievement and here, the PA news agency looks at how he compares. Cloud nine Verstappen has won 11 of this season’s 13 races – with team-mate Sergio Perez taking the other two as the duo surpassed the great McLaren pairing of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost’s run of 11 straight wins in 1988. Since Perez’s win in Azerbaijan on April 30, Verstappen has won the Miami, Monaco, Spanish, Canadian, Austrian, British, Hungarian, Belgian and now Dutch Grands Prix. He won from ninth on the grid in Florida, passing Perez with nine laps to go, and his team judged the rain correctly to hold off Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in Monaco. Dominant wins in Spain and Canada brought him level with Senna’s career tally of 41 race wins, which he quickly overhauled in Austria. Victory at Silverstone took him 99 points clear in the drivers’ standings and he shot past pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton on the run to the first corner in Hungary before clinching Red Bull the record for consecutive team wins. His attention could then turn to the individual landmark and after surging through from sixth on the grid at Spa, he returned from the summer break to beat Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in a six-lap dash to the chequered flag to match Vettel’s streak, set in 2013. History repeats for Red Bull Vettel set the record – also driving for Red Bull, for whom Adrian Newey has been in post as chief technical officer on both occasions – when he won the final nine races of 2013 to surge clear of Alonso and win the title. His run began in Belgium, where he overtook Hamilton early on and was untroubled thereafter, before dominant wins in Italy, Singapore and Korea and a strategic success in Japan. The German clinched the title in India and added further wins in Abu Dhabi and the United States before a season-ending success in Brazil made it nine in a row and 13 for the season. Alberto Ascari has a claim to a share of the record, having won the last six races of the 1952 season and his first three starts of 1953. The run was interrupted by Ascari not entering the Indianapolis 500, which at the time was part of the drivers’ championship and was won by American Bill Vukovich. Michael Schumacher won seven in a row in 2004, as did Nico Rosberg at the end of 2015 and the start of his 2016 title-winning season. Schumacher also had a run of six across the 2000 and 2001 seasons while Hamilton’s longest run is five wins, as was Verstappen’s before his current streak. Verstappen is on track to be the first driver ever to win over 80 per cent of races in a season – beating Ascari’s 75 per cent in 1952, when there were only eight races in total – while he has won almost 94 per cent of the maximum points available with 339 of a possible 362 so far. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in F1 history – Lando Norris Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix after breaking wrist in practice

Max Verstappen navigated his way through a chaotic and dramatic rain-hit Dutch Grand Prix to equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine victories in a row. Pole-sitter Verstappen found himself down in 13th place after seven drivers – including Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez – took advantage of a sudden first-lap downpour to move on to wet tyres. The Dutchman regained the lead on lap 13 of 72 only for the race to be red-flagged with just eight laps to run after Zhou Guanyu crashed out following a second heavy shower. A 43-minute suspension followed as the tyre barrier at the opening corner was repaired. But Verstappen beat Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in a six-lap dash to the chequered flag to match Vettel’s streak, set in 2013. Perez finished third but was demoted a place after he was hit with a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, allowing Pierre Gasly to take the final spot on the podium. Carlos Sainz finished fifth, holding off Lewis Hamilton, with Lando Norris seventh. George Russell was forced to retire his Mercedes following a late duel with Norris. Verstappen, whose Red Bull team remain unbeaten this season, extended his championship lead from 125 points to 138 ahead of next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Dark clouds gathered in the minutes ahead of Sunday’s round in Zandvoort, 30 miles outside of Amsterdam, and just a handful of corners into the start, the heavens opened. While Verstappen and the leading pack tiptoed their way round the 2.65-mile circuit, Perez – who started in seventh – was called in by his quick-thinking Red Bull team for the intermediate tyres. With the rain still falling, Verstappen sensibly stopped the next time round but McLaren’s Lando Norris and the Mercedes of Russell stayed out on the slick rubber despite the worsening conditions. Hamilton, who started 13th, was also sent round for another lap despite the seven-time world champion’s obvious concerns. “We should have come in, man,” he said over the radio. “It is very wet.” “Copy, Lewis,” said his race engineer Peter Bonnington. “We’re going to stay out. We’re going to have to brave this.” But at the end of the third lap, Hamilton was in for wet tyres. He rejoined the track in last place. Russell was still sliding around on slicks before he was changed on to the wet rubber at the end of lap four. When the dust settled, Hamilton and Russell occupied 16th and 18th places. “I was forecast a podium,” said Russell on the radio. “F***, how did we mess this up?” By now the rain had relented and dry line was already starting to emerge, and, despite his early handicap, the all-conquering Verstappen was, predictably, on the march. On lap six he raced past Gasly for third before moving up to second a lap later as he blasted ahead of Zhou. Perez was seven seconds up the road. Verstappen was taking chunks out of Perez – on one lap as many as four seconds – before he reverted to slicks on lap 11. Perez stopped the next time round but emerged three seconds behind the flying Dutchman, who was now back in the lead, and back in control. On lap 15, Logan Sargeant was back in the wall a day after crashing out in qualifying. The American was unharmed but the safety car was deployed to retrieve his machine. Mercedes called Russell in for his third stop of the afternoon, putting him on the hardest, durable tyre in the hope it would see him through to the end of the race. With Sargeant’s wounded Williams out of the way, the race resumed on lap 21. Verstappen controlled the restart to leave team-mate Perez trailing. Verstappen raced off into the distance with Hamilton and Russell beginning their fightback through the pack. The Mercedes men were back in the top 10 but with only a dozen laps remaining, the rain returned with vengeance. The drivers were back in the pits for intermediate tyres before Perez spun his Red Bull at the opening corner and lost second to Alonso. As the downpour intensified, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou aquaplaned at the first corner and thudded into the tyre wall. Hamilton also ran off at the opening bend but managed to keep his Mercedes out of the barriers and rejoined the track. Race director Niels Wittich red-flagged the race. After a lengthy suspension the event was back under way at 5.14pm local time with two laps behind the safety car and a rolling start. Alonso sensed his first win in a decade but despite the tricky conditions, Verstappen kept Alonso behind, crossing the line 3.7 seconds clear of the Spaniard. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in F1 history – Lando Norris Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix after breaking wrist in practice

The weather gods did their best on the coast of the North Sea. Twice in fact: once at the start, once at the end. But as has been the case in Formula 1 in the last 18 months, Max Verstappen and his imperious Red Bull team had all the answers again. The inevitability of the Dutch national anthem being bellowed out on the podium – this time in front of 100,000 drenched home supporters – has become as customary as the podium ceremony itself. However, unlike many of this year’s processions for the three-time champion-in-waiting this year, this race was enthralling from start-to-finish. Unusually, team Verstappen were a step behind Sergio Perez’s strategists in the pit stop stakes early on, as rain forced a rethink for the whole pack. Once Red Bull, seemingly aware of the post-mortem should the Dutchman not win in his homeland, undercut Perez for their championship leader, the rest seemed entirely predictable. Until another heavy downpour – and Zhou Guanyu’s hefty shunt – forced a red flag eight laps from the end. Yet upon the race resumption, 45 minutes later, Verstappen maintained his lead from Fernando Alonso, who recorded an impressive finish in second for Aston Martin. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finished third, after Perez was penalised with five seconds for inexplicably speeding in the pit lane. The Mexican ended up fourth. It is a ninth consecutive victory for Verstappen; his 11th this season and 46th grand prix win overall. A third-straight victory at Zandvoort, too, basking to the tune of the orange-clad contingent in the stands. A victory next week at Monza will see him overtake fellow record-holder Vettel, becoming the first man to reach double figures in consecutive wins. On this trajectory, who would possibly bet against him? Carlos Sainz came home fifth but it was a tumultuous afternoon for Mercedes. George Russell, who started in third, retired late on after a tangle with Lando Norris for seventh, while Lewis Hamilton could only manage sixth. Norris will be disappointed with P7, having started the race on the front row alongside Verstappen. What will hurt more is that the leading contenders had glimmers of hop here, straight off the bat. Just as Verstappen rolled his Red Bull into his grid box after the formation lap, flickers of rain were visible and the drama began. Whilst the hometown hero kept the lead from Lando Norris at the start – unlike at Silverstone last month – a miscalculation in the forecast set him back. But for Perez, with little to lose starting in seventh, it was a route to the front. The Mexican pitted straight away onto the intermediate tyre; a decision which proved inspired. By the time the rest of the pack, amidst pit-lane carnage in the first few laps, realised a change was a necessity Perez had an 11-second lead out in front. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou and Alpine’s Gasly, who also boldly dived into the pits after lap one, completed a helter-skelter top-three early on. Verstappen, to the bemusement of the Dutchies in the stands, had dropped down to eighth. But his ascent was inevitably rapid, passing Zhou within five laps and soon on the cusp of his team-mate. Perez had sparred with Verstappen in the early races of the season before losing his way, impressive staving off the challenge in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. Could he follow suit here? He was given no choice in the matter. By lap 11, it was time to switch back to slick tyres. The track dried out quickly and Red Bull, in full control of their bullets, opted to pit Verstappen first. By the time Perez was out of the pits himself a lap later, the Dutchman was back ahead. Normal order restored. TOP-10 - DUTCH GRAND PRIX 1. Max Verstappen 2. Fernando Alonso 3. Pierre Gasly 4. Sergio Perez 5. Carlos Sainz 6. Lewis Hamilton 7. Lando Norris 8. Alex Albon 9. Oscar Piastri 10. Esteban Ocon “Did Max undercut us?” Perez asked. “Yes, he undercut us,” came the response. You can imagine the look on the Mexican’s red-hot face underneath his helmet. The early shenanigans moved the British contingent out of contention, too. Badly timed pit stops saw Norris drop from second to outside the top-10, while an aghast Russell slumped from third to third-last. “I was forecast for a podium… f***, how did we mess this up?!” he questioned. Hamilton fared little better; a weekend to forget for the Silver Arrows. But within a matter of minutes, light rain had returned. It was too much for Williams rookie Logan Sargeant to handle, dumping his car into the wall to bring out a safety car on lap 17. The order bunched. The race then set forth a familiar tone: Verstappen gradually extended his lead, while those who’d benefited from the early downpour were slowly caught by their superior rivals. Charles Leclerc retired on lap 42; his season with Ferrari going from bad to worse. By the time heavy downpours returned with 12 laps to go, Red Bull had had their dress rehearsal. No panic stations this time – or so they thought. Perez’s spin at turn 1 in the wet allowed Alonso to take second, before Zhou’s crash triggered a red flag. Order reset in the pits, a rolling start plateaued any potential of a late shakeup right at the front. Come the chequered flag, bobbing heads in the crowd showed they were undeterred by the conditions. A victory for their man once more; no rain will stop their celebrations long into the night. Read More F1 Dutch Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times as Max Verstappen reclaims lead F1 returns with the now inevitable question: can anyone beat Max Verstappen? Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix F1 Dutch Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times from Zandvoort Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix F1 returns with the now inevitable question: can anyone beat Max Verstappen?

Max Verstappen delighted his home crowd by taking pole position for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix. In an incident-packed wet-dry session, the unstoppable double world champion delivered a crushing lap to finish half-a-second clear of Lando Norris, who qualified second for McLaren. George Russell will start from third place for Mercedes with the impressive Alex Albon fourth. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 and will line up from only 13th spot in Zandvoort. Follow live race updates with The Independent Read More F1 grid: Starting positions for Dutch Grand Prix Max Verstappen claims pole position at home Dutch GP as Lewis Hamilton falters Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix

Max Verstappen delighted his home crowd by taking pole position for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix. In an incident-packed wet-dry session, the unstoppable double world champion delivered a crushing lap to finish half-a-second clear of Lando Norris, who qualified second for McLaren. George Russell will start from third place for Mercedes with the impressive Alex Albon fourth. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 and will line up from only 13th spot in Zandvoort. Follow live race updates with The Independent Read More F1 grid: Starting positions for Dutch Grand Prix Max Verstappen claims pole position at home Dutch GP as Lewis Hamilton falters Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix