F1 | Dutch Grand Prix Race Report

Verstappen Secures Another Win in Home Dutch Grand Prix

The season long domination by Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen continued over the weekend as Verstappen drove away with another win in front of a raucous home crowd at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen finished just ahead of George Russell, who Mercedes pitted onto soft tires rather than Lewis Hamilton who slammed Mercedes vocally for terrible race strategy costing him a potential win. Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc finished in a miraculous third salvaging some points in the season title chase but it is a little too late. Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, finished 5th but dropped to eighth after penalty for another Ferrari blunder.

In winning in front of a partisan home crowd dressed in orange, Verstappen has extended his title lead to 109 points with just seven races remaining. At this point, Verstappen could take the next four races off and go on vacation and come back and still be in the points lead. It is no longer a situation of if Verstappen will win back to back titles, but when.

ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS - SEPTEMBER 03: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and The Netherlands during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of The Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on September 03, 2022 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202209030362 // Usage for editorial use only //

“Today was quite eventful and not a straightforward race at all, we had to make the right calls and it all worked out well in the end," said Verstappen post race. “Mercedes were very quick on the harder compound which we didn’t expect, so it made it more difficult for us as we were less compatible with the hards. We managed everything quite well and we made the right calls on the strategy so well done to the Team here and back at the factory. It’s always special to win your home grand prix but this year I had to work even harder for it. It’s incredible to win again in front of this crowd, we’ve had unbelievable support here and I’m proud to be Dutch.”

The Race

Verstappen, who had led throughout the entire race aside from pit stop moments, seemed to be assured of victory having taken a second pit stop during a Virtual Safety Car on Lap 48, with Hamilton second and Russell third. The events after a Lap 55 Safety Car dashed any hopes of victory that Hamilton had after he found himself in the lead for a brief moment.

The seven-time champion stayed out on mediums to inherit the lead while Verstappen came in for softs, followed by Russell and Leclerc, for the restart on Lap 61. In that restart, Verstappen swept past the Mercedes for the lead within seconds of the restart, with Russell and Leclerc following suit to pry Hamilton away from the podium.

Hamilton ended up fourth at the flag as Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez – the former held back by a calamitous Ferrari pit stop earlier on, before a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in a later stop – battled late on for P5. That allowed Alonso and Norris to close in too, and when the penalty kicked in Sainz was dropped to eighth, promoting Perez to fifth, Alonso to sixth, and Norris to seventh.

What’s next?

The triple header concludes with the 2022 Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 9-11. Can Ferrari score a famous home win – or will Red Bull spoil the Scuderia’s homecoming party? Either way, Verstappen is cruising towards his second World Championship.