Man with the golden touch Max Verstappen won his home race and in doing so achieved the career milestone of 9 consecutive wins – a record he now jointly holds with Sebastian Vettel. However, Verstappen’s path to victory was no leisurely journey. However, Verstappen had to work for success in changeable weather that saw the lead change hand on multiple occasions. The race commenced under overcast conditions, Verstappen, starting from the pole position, maintained his lead amidst a flurry of position-swapping among the drivers behind him. Just a few corners into the opening lap, rain started to fall, setting off a series of events that added an element of chaos and unpredictability to the competition.

As the rain intensified, Sergio Perez made the strategic call to enter the pits on the second lap, swapping his slick tires for full wet weather ones. Verstappen mirrored this decision a lap later. This sequence of events propelled George Russell into the lead as he engaged in a spirited tussle with Lando Norris. However, Russell’s time at the helm was fleeting, as Perez, now equipped with full wet tires, swiftly surged back into the lead as the front runners remained on slick tyres.

Verstappen’s early pit stop set him back in the running order, but with a superior car and a bit of skill and patience, he was able to climb up to second place by lap 11 as the track dried and the sun came out. By lap 16, Verstappen had caught up to Perez and overtaken him to take the lead. More changeable weather arrived, safety cars and even a Red Flag late in the race as the rain overwhelmed proceedings.

And when the race was ready to resume, Verstappen remained composed and maintained his lead. Despite the unpredictable waether during the Dutch Grand Prix, he managed to stay in control. Verstappen could have stumbled in such varied and sudden changeable conditions but for one race this season I can that the 2023 world Champion in waiting deserved victory.

Not even the weather can stop Verstappen… this is getting ridiculous!

2023 Dutch Grand Prix: Race Results

1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull 2:24:04.411 72 laps 6 stops
2 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +3.744 5 stops
3 Pierre GASLY Alpine +7.058 5 stops
4 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull +10.068 6 stops
5 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +12.541 5 stops
6 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +13.209 5 stops
7 Lando NORRIS McLaren +13.232 6 stops
8 Alexander ALBON Williams +15.155 4 stops
9 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +16.580 5 stops
10 Esteban OCON Alpine +18.346 6 stops
11 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +20.087 7 stops
12 Nico HULKENBERG Haas +20.840 5 stops
13 Liam LAWSON AlphaTauri +26.147 7 stops
14 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas +26.410 6 stops
15 Valtteri BOTTAS Alfa Romeo +27.388 5 stops
16 Yuki TSUNODA AlphaTauri +29.893 5 stops
17 George RUSSELL Mercedes +55.754 7 stops
18 Guanyu ZHOU Alfa Romeo DNF, crash
19 Charles LECLERC Ferrari DNF, floor damage
20 Logan SARGEANT Williams DNF, crash