61. 2023 Dutch GP: Verstappen shows F1 who's boss at soaking Zandvoort
Max Verstappen made a habit of running away with races during 2023, and while they were mostly all virtuoso performances, they didn’t usually make for great grands prix
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August 27, Zandvoort
However, when the championship dominator rolled into his home race seeking a ninth win in a row, he was tested to the limit in a topsy-turvy weather-blighted race at Zandvoort.
While Verstappen started from his customary pole position, rain before the end of the opening lap threw a soggy spanner in the works. Sergio Pérez was first to stop for intermediates, a move that would vault the sister Red Bull into the race lead just two laps later. Despite rejoining some 10 seconds back, Verstappen ate into his team-mate’s lead, eventually undercutting back to top spot with an early stop to slicks just as the track began to dry.
Then the chaos began as Logan Sargeant crashed heavily in his Williams, bringing out a safety car to bunch the pack. But things really got spicy when a sudden downpour with 10 laps remaining sent cars scattering and caused a red flag. Pérez fell victim to cede second to Fernando Alonso, and when the grid was reset we were treated to a soaking six-lap sprint for the win, in which Verstappen managed to fend off the veteran Spaniard while Pierre Gasly grabbed a surprise podium for Alpine after Pérez was penalised for speeding in the pit lane during one of the race’s six pit visits. The race was so afflicted, Verstappen won with a sub-80mph average speed. RL
Results
1st Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing-Honda), 2hr 24min 04.411sec, 79.33mph
2nd Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin-Mercedes)
3rd Pierre Gasly (Alpine-Renault)
Pole position Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda), 1min 10.567sec, 135.00mph