Max Verstappen simply couldn’t be stopped as he claimed a commanding home win at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver withstood everything Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes threw at him as he gave the incredible crowd at Zandvoort exactly what they came to see.
Race Review
A perfect start from Verstappen saw him streak into the lead on the opening lap, ahead of the two Mercedes as the top six got away in formation.
Behind saw a flurry of close calls on the opening lap with George Russell and Antonio Giovinazzi making light contact with the respective cars ahead.
Starting from the pit lane, an early lock-up trying to pass Nikita Mazepin scuppered Sergio Perez’s progress as he was forced to pit for new tyres.
Attention quickly turned to the strategy with some drivers pitting early on a two-stop and others sticking on a one.
Hamilton would be the first of the leaders to pit, attempting the undercut, with Red Bull immediately responding with Verstappen.
Bottas remained on track going for the one-stop and to try and impede Max who was closing fast behind.
However, his defence wouldn’t last long as Verstappen swept through on the main straight, while Hamilton was close behind.
The second round of stops came around Lap 40, but traffic on Lewis’ out-lap meant he undercut wouldn’t be as effective, allowing Verstappen to stop and resume the lead.
Behind the top three, Pierre Gasly had the pace to hold off the two Ferraris, with Esteban Ocon stuck behind Alpine teammate Fernando Alonso in seventh and eighth.
Lando Norris produced a long first stint to move up from 12th to ninth, with McLaren ordering him past teammate Daniel Ricciardo shortly after his pit-stop.
Despite his usual tyre complaints, Hamilton launched one final push on Verstappen but the Red Bull had an answer to everything the world champion tried.
And Max would send Zandvoort into delirium with his seventh victory of the season to reclaim the championship lead.
Hamilton stopped on the penultimate lap to set the fastest lap in second as Bottas rounded out the podium.
Gasly claimed fourth ahead of Charles Leclerc, as Alonso caught and passed Carlos Sainz for P6 in the closing laps.
Sergio Perez used the soft tyre to charge up to eighth in the second Red Bull, with Ocon and Norris completing the top 10.
Full results from Sunday can be seen below:
