Max Verstappen wins the Dutch Grand Prix and equals Sebastian Vettel’s record
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the Dutch Grand Prix, the fourteenth stage of the Formula 1 World Championship.
The fourteenth round of the season was held over 72 laps on the 4.2 kilometer circuit that bears the same name as the city of Zandvoort, on the North Sea coast. Dutchman Verstappen, who was on pole, comfortably led the race and was stopped on lap 65 due to heavy rain that started on lap 62.
After a 45-minute rest, Verstappen finished the race, which started under the safety car, 3.7sec ahead of Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin team), reaching the eleventh race this season and his 46th career winner.
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez finished in third place, but Pierre Gasly (Alpine) made it to the podium due to a 5-second penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane.
VERSTAPPEN EQUALS VETTEL’S RECORD
Verstappen, 25, won his ninth consecutive race, equaling Sebastian Vettel’s Formula 1 record. German driver Vettel held the record in 2013, when he won his fourth and final F1 title in his career.
The Red Bull team, which broke its own Formula 1 record by winning its 13th consecutive race in the same season, also extended its winning streak to 14 races.
By increasing his score to 339, the gap between drivers’ standings leader Verstappen and his closest follower Perez increased to 138 points. Alonso trailed the Red Bull drivers with 168 points.
The fifteenth race of the championship, the Italian Grand Prix, will take place on September 3. The sixth stage of the season, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, was canceled due to adverse weather conditions.
After the Dutch Grand Prix, the top 5 places in the driver and team standings were as follows:
PILOTS
- 1. Max Verstappen (Netherlands): 339 points
- 2. Sergio Perez (Mexico): 201
- 3. Fernando Alonso (Spain): 168
- 4. Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain): 156
- 5. Carlos Sainz (Spain): 102
EQUIPMENT
- 1. Red Bull: 540
- 2.Mercedes: 255
- 3. Aston Martin: 215
- 4.Ferrari: 201
- 5. McLaren: 111
(AA)