the dutch Max Verstappen prevailed at home in the Dutch Grand Prixthe fifteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, which was held this Sunday at the Zandvoort circuit.
The World Championship leader, who strengthens his position at the top of the drivers’ standings with his tenth win of the year, fourth in a row, was accompanied on the podium by the British George Russell (Mercedes) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)while the Spanish Fernando Alonso (Alpine) was sixth with a comeback of seven places.
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The race was marked by the incidents of the Japanese Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) and the Finn Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) towards lap 50 of the 72 that were given to the winding and banked circuit of Zandvoort.
At the exit, Verstappen contained Leclerc and the Spanish Carlos Sainz, with a touch included, to the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). The Dutchman thus began, with a firm step, the road to victory at home.
Sainz, who was running third, was left out of contention for victory by a blunder by Ferrari, who forgot the rear left tire at his first stop on lap 15, losing him more than 12 seconds.
The Madrilenian lost the position with the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), who could not help but walk over the Ferrari gun, and with Hamilton.
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The two Mercedes, initially coming to a stop, led when Verstappen switched to mids on lap 19, and Russell tried to hold off the Dutchman, but he didn’t last a round.
Czech Perez resisted something more when he had to do the same with the seven-time champion, which happened to him on the second attempt, although he later ran into Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), who joined from the pits, something that made him lose a few valuable seconds.
As the race approached 50 laps, Tsunoda and Alpha Tauri staged a chain of errors that ended with the Japanese parked and a virtual ‘safety car’ that benefited Verstappen and harmed Mercedes and Ferrari, who had just stopped by the garage to change the tires.
Another incident, this time due to a mechanical problem in the Finn’s Alfa Romeo Valtteri Bottaswho was left lying on the finish straight, forced to take out the safety and even divert the cars through the pit lane.
Hamilton did not change tires, Verstappen and Russell, like most, yes, the race was restarted with 12 laps to go and the Dutchman, like when he won the championship last year, overtook him right away, almost over the finish line.
The leader went for his tenth win, the fourth in a row, the Mercedes, to the anger of Hamilton, exchanged positions, and the seven-time champion lost the podium to Leclerc.
Pérez entered fifth, Alonso was sixth after a great race and containing the British Lando Norris (McLaren), Sainz, relegated by a five-second penalty for an unsafe release (reckless exit from the pits when Alonso appeared), fell to eighth place.
The next race of the Formula 1 World Championship it will be next weekend at the Monza circuit with the Italian Grand Prix in Game.
