ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — World champion and
runaway series leader
Max Verstappen made the most of his unerring speed and
reliability, and the chaotic teamwork of his rivals, to claim a dramatic
victory for Red Bull in his home Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday.
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The 24-year-old Dutchman took full advantage of his
team’s cool decision-making, as Mercedes and Ferrari appeared to make flustered
choices in the heat of the moment, to come home 4.071 seconds ahead of George
Russell of Mercedes and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
For several laps in the closing stages, it appeared
that seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton might win until a late Safety Car
resulted in him being left out on worn tires by Mercedes, as Verstappen and
Russell took softs.
Exposed and unable to defend his position Hamilton
was furious, but the sea of 105,000 ebullient fans packed into the
Zandvoort circuit reveled in their hero’s good fortune as he passed Hamilton and pulled
clear to claim a second successive Dutch triumph, a fourth consecutive win and
his 10th of the season.
“It wasn’t straightforward, but we pushed, and we
made the right calls,” said Verstappen.
“It’s worked out really well and it’s always special
to win at home.”
As the forbidden flares and fireworks were lit and
smoke spilled across the track, Hamilton came home fourth ahead of Sergio Perez
in the second Red Bull and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso.
In a race punctuated by interruptions and influenced
heavily by strategic decisions related to tire-wear, it was Red Bull’s
exploitation of their opportunity that gave Verstappen his 30th career win
while, for Hamilton, it seemed defeat had been clutched from the jaws of
victory.
Verstappen now has 309 points ahead of Leclerc and
Perez on 201 in the championship, making it possible for him to take his second
drivers’ crown in Singapore on October 2.
Hamilton anguish
Verstappen who cut across
from his 17th pole position to lead into the first corner followed by Leclerc
and Sainz, who resisted a bruising charge from Hamilton.
On the tight track, with such a short lap, the
action was intense. Leclerc pushed to stay in touch with the flying Dutchman,
but by lap 12 was 1.7 seconds adrift with Sainz a further eight seconds down,
ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz came in after 15 laps, taking mediums, along
with Perez.
“Oh my God,” said Sainz as his crew searched for an
errant left-rear tire. His stop cost 12 seconds and left Hamilton third ahead
of Russell. Sainz re-joined 11th.
Leclerc’s stop was a much smoother affair for
Ferrari and he was followed by Verstappen. Hamilton took the lead ahead of
Russell, the ‘silver arrows’ making the most of their choice of medium tire.
Verstappen showed pace in pursuit of the
Mercedes’
pair, running one and two for the first time this year, as the Alpines also
impressed.
To the delight of the ‘orange army’, Verstappen
swept round Russell at Turn One on lap 27 to chase old foe Hamilton, who pitted
at the end of lap 29 for “hards”, re-joining fifth.
Russell pitted after 31 laps for “hards” and
re-joined fifth behind Hamilton.
The Mercedes men traded fastest laps before Hamilton
swept past Perez at the second attempt on the banked final corner.
Sainz and Leclerc pitted again, for hards, the
Monegasque re-joining fourth behind Russell before a bizarre intervention when
Yuki Tsunoda, after two stops, retired his Alpha Tauri.
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed triggering
another rash of stops.
Verstappen took hards, both Mercedes took mediums
and the racing resumed on lap 50.
“Let’s go guys,” said Hamilton praising his team’s
double-stacked stop before realizing he was second, 12 seconds behind the champion.
“That VSC has stuffed us,” said Hamilton, knowing
that instead of Verstappen having to pass him, it was he who had to pass the
Dutchman with 18 laps to go.
A full Safety Car was then deployed when Valtteri
Bottas parked his Alfa Romeo at the Turn One entry, prompting Red Bull to pit
Verstappen again for softs, a move that put the Mercedes first and second
again.
Racing resumed on lap 60, with 12 to go, and on his
worn, cold medium tires Hamilton had no defense as Verstappen, taking a tow,
cruised past to lead again.
Hamilton vented his understandable anguish in an
expletive-laden team radio message at seeing a great chance to win snatched
away.
“Why am I the only guy not out here on softs?” he
asked.
Russell flew by a lap later and Leclerc too, on lap
66, leaving him fourth as the party started.
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