Red Bull driver Max Verstappen drives towards his successful title defense in the Formula 1 World Championship, seemingly untouchable. As in the previous year, the Dutchman won the Dutch Grand Prix at home, triggering a wave of enthusiasm. “Max Mania” in Zandvoort – there was no holding back. More than 100,000 fans had turned the course in the dunes into an orange witch’s cauldron. “Such encouragement, such a mood – I’ve never experienced that before,” even the experienced Red Bull Motorsport Director Helmut Marko, who was 79, was amazed.
On Saturday, not everything was pure bliss: During qualifying, smoke screens “flew” from the grandstands, which Verstappen replied with a shake of the head. “It’s nice to hold torches, but of course there are limits. Throwing them on the track is just stupid.” Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) also commented on the disruptive manoeuvres: “As a driver you don’t want to be distracted by smoke at 300 km/h.”
There was no place on the podium for the Spaniard yesterday. The Briton George Russell came in second place in the Mercedes, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc took third place in the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, who had led the “Silver Arrow” shortly before the end, had to settle for fourth place in the classification.
“A very nice result for me and my team, who made the right decisions,” said Verstappen. “It’s so special to win your home race. I had to work very, very hard for it this year,” explained the 24-year-old champion, who celebrated two anniversaries. It was the tenth win of the season and the 30th of his career overall. But that’s not all. In the 15th of a total of 22 races, Verstappen extended his lead over Leclerc to a comfortable 109 points. Who is supposed to stop the fast-moving Max? In the Constructors’ Championship, too, everything speaks for Red Bull Racing, Ferrari is 135 points behind.
“A mess has happened”
The “Scuderia” not only quarrels with the opponents, but also with themselves. Sainz’s first stop caused a stir, and it wasn’t the first time that bad luck was on his heels. The Ferrari crew was apparently not ready, and an impact wrench was far away from the car on the ground. Sergio Perez, who was stopping directly behind the Ferrari pits, rumbled in the Red Bull with both wheels over the impact wrench as he drove away. Sainz stood still for more than eleven seconds and only came back on the track in eleventh place. “A mess happened, a mess,” said Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, listening to the desperation on the radio.
Verstappen, on the other hand, was calm personified. It only got exciting after he pitted for the third time on the 58th of 72 laps and dropped back to second place (behind Hamilton). But only briefly. Verstappen easily reported back at the top and ultimately triumphed with a lead of almost five seconds. Hamilton, who later had to let Russell and Leclerc go, didn’t like it at all. He was annoyed with the Mercedes strategy.
Source: Nachrichten
