Max Verstappen has won a very spectacular rain race at the Zandvoort circuit. Verstappen won his ninth race in a row, equaling Sebastian Vettel’s record. Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly completed the podium.
ITS LIGHTS OUT AT ZANDVOORT!!!
Verstappen leads into Turn 1 from Norris and at Turn 3 Alonso moves up to P3#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/V1mw10V0eY
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Just before the start of the race, it was predicted that it would start raining shortly after the start of the race. We could take that literally shortly after the start because halfway through the opening lap, with Verstappen staying in the lead of the race during the start, it started to rain heavily.
LAP 2/72
And the rain has started pouring down
Perez is one of several drivers who pit for inters#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/n2G6LoxXsF
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
A large proportion of the riders came straight in for intermediates but several riders tried to push through on the soft compound and ‘sit out’ the rain.
LAP 3/72
Verstappen and Alonso, who were running P1 and P2, both pit for inters
Meanwhile Perez now leads the race! #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/MD78x9vcBK
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Many position changes during the opening laps of the ‘Dutch GP’. Not only because of the pit stops, but also because there was a lot of speed difference between some drivers and cars. After the first series of pit stops we saw Sergio Perez leading the race but Max Verstappen was on average about two seconds per lap faster than the Mexican.
LAP 12 & 13/72
Verstappen pits again. He’s switched back to slicks. Perez comes in the following lap and returns to the track in P2
Verstappen leads#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/3YKlvXgtDQ
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
On lap 12, Verstappen came in first of the two Red Bulls, a lap later Sergio Perez followed, losing the lead in the race. The Mexican was not pleased with the fact that Verstappen had done a so-called ‘undercut’. Moments later, however, we got the safety car on track.
Logan’s out of the car #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/BV2iqoPz5Z
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Sargeant now just a spectator #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/HszQsPFFjv
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
After all, Logan Sargeant had crashed with his Williams F1 car. The track marshals had to get to work to get Sargeant’s car off the track. The whole field of drivers came so close together.
LAP 18/72
Red Bull Radio
Perez: “Is there more rain expected?”
Engineer: “There are cells on the radar. First one 35 mins away” #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/mCkyY67Acq— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
At the restart, Max Verstappen remained in the lead of the race, ahead of Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso. Pierre Gasly was also in a very strong race in the Alpine, the Frenchman drove on P4, just ahead of Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari.
LAP 22/72
We are racing again!
Verstappen leads from Perez, then it’s Alonso followed by Gasly and Sainz #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/LhfAywQsZ4
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
On lap 26, Lewis Hamilton passed Charles Leclerc, after which Leclerc immediately lost a position against Oscar Piastri who dived inside the Hugenholtzbocht.
LAP 26/72
Oscar Piastri is throwing caution to the wind!
He dives down the inside at Turn 3 and gets past Leclerc
The Aussie is up to P13 #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/HrYWjg5w0w
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
The chaos during the start of the race was nicely depicted with the graph below.
LAP 30/72
Chaos at the start! #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/epA07zMTV5
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
In the meantime, we saw a lot of fighting and overtaking maneuvers in midfield. Oscar Piastri tried to get ahead, as did Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
LAP 35/72
Piastri is still climbing the standings. He breezes past Zhou into P11 and is now chasing down Hamilton #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/7WOWHETHID
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
A little further on we saw Charles Leclerc fall further and further and lose positions.
George makes short work of Charles and is up to P14. The fight back is on. pic.twitter.com/p0REB9plk2
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 27, 2023
There was clearly a bigger problem with the Monegask F1 car because even F1 debutant Liam Lawson quickly joined Leclerc.
LAP 41/72
Race debutant Liam Lawson is chasing down Charles Leclerc #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/MlXmpfzuJV
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
LAP 42/72
Lawson is past the Ferrari driver at Turn 11, before Leclerc opens up his DRS in the run down to Turn 1 to retake the position #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ipWgNjXt0B
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
In round 43, Charles Leclerc was put out of his misery and the figurative towel was thrown in the ring. Resignation for Leclerc because the problems with his Ferrari F1 car were too great.
LAP 43/72
Leclerc’s race is run. Ferrari call him into the pits to retire the car which has floor damage. #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/NL5QXtjsh4
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
After Sergio Perez had made a pit stop, Fernando Alonso also followed a few laps later. The Spaniard’s pit stop did not go so smoothly due to a problem with the left front bench.
LAP 49/72
Alonso pits but it’s a slow one – problems with the front left tyre!
Are his chances of a podium gone? #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ylzwQQs2ED
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Max Verstappen also followed a little later but he remained comfortably in the lead of the race, ahead of Perez.
Max makes his third stop Another set of soft tyres are fitted and he rejoins in the lead pic.twitter.com/IQ0Fndm0cy
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) August 27, 2023
On lap 52, Fernando Alonso managed to pass Carlos Sainz again shortly after his pit stop. Alonso won the battle with his compatriot for P3 and the final podium finish.
LAP 52/72
Alonso doesn’t waste anytime retaking P3 from Sainz #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ez2GJd9OmV
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Verstappen seemed on his way to a smooth victory, but heavy rain was predicted for the end of the race.
LAP 54/72
Heavy rain is on the radar and heading our way #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/7aR9GjnXib
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
With fifteen laps to go, it was getting darker on and around the Zandvoort circuit. With eleven laps to go, the floodgates did indeed open in earnest. The drivers all came in for intermediates.
LAP 62/72
The pits fill up with cars as the heavens open!#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Z4cLHlPsGj
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
The rain was so heavy that it was actually time to opt for ‘full wets’, but the F1 drivers are clearly not a fan of that tire compound. However, we got a lot of sliders, especially in the first corner.
LAP 63/72
It’s so, so wet out there now
Perez has gone straight on at Turn 1#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/B5AIAByEVo
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Its raining cats and dogs here. pic.twitter.com/Y3MqzBtTfk
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 27, 2023
Finally, Guanyu Zhou went straight so fast that his Alfa Romeo F1 car ended up in the TecPro barriers. The red flag was raised and the race stopped.
Before the red flag, Zhou aquaplaned into the Turn 1 barriers
His car has damage, but the Chinese driver is out of the car and looks okay (if a little damp) #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/1kZA7M5A0X
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Sergio Perez was banned from leaving the pit lane after pitting for a set of full wet wet tyres. However, the Mexican would retake his third place on the grid for the restart. After all, before the restart there was a return to a previous standings.
LAP 64/72
RED FLAG #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VhVDHY8TZN
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
The TecPro barriers were repaired in the meantime, but it continued to rain seriously and we got a long break in competition.
The worst of the rain has passed but it’s still very wet out there #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/DLhzztnqtP
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
In the meantime, the race management has communicated the order for the restart of the race. Max Verstappen of course on P1, Fernando Alonso on P2 and Sergio Perez who, despite his spin and the extra pit stop, should be allowed to restart from P3.
RACE CONTROL: ORDER FOR RESTART
Verstappen
Alonso
Perez
Gasly
Sainz
Hamilton
Norris
Russell
Albon
Plates
Ocon
Tsunoda
Stroll
Hulkenberg
Bottas
Lawson
Magnussen #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/gTZfYb6rzv— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
While waiting for the restart, the atmosphere was maintained both on and off the track. Track marshals did the polonaise in the pit lane and at Aston Martin they decided to give the tire warmers a big hug.
It’s still raining, but the sun has joined the party
There must be a good rainbow somewhere! #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/gl9S8J4BS5
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Congas, tyre hugging…
Just your average race day in the pit lane! #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/MAbJqJajww
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
At 5:14 pm we finally got that long awaited restart. The entire driver field close together and that for a kind of ‘sprint race’ towards the finish. We got a ‘rolling restart’ behind the safety car, where the order of the cars first had to be set correctly.
The cars are out on track before returning to the pit lane to line up behind the Safety Car#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/G63816C8nN
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
At the restart, Max Verstappen easily remained in the lead of the race. However, Alonso followed just over a second behind Verstappen. Sergio Perez was in third place but the Mexican was given a five-second time penalty for driving too fast in the pit lane.
Safety Car is in and we are racing again!!!
Alonso has a look down the inside at Turn 1 but Verstappen keeps the lead#DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/K8rClVoiF1
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Behind that we saw Gasly driving in fourth place, but Carlos Sainz in particular was put under pressure by Lewis Hamilton in fifth place. Lando Norris and George Russell were also competing and they raced against each other. Russell’s car was damaged so badly that he had to retire.
LAP 68/72
Russell is out of this race
Looks like he has a puncture, possibly from contact with Norris at the restart #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/lGPTajXXdX
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
In the closing laps we saw a titanic battle between Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton. In the end, Sainz managed to keep Lewis Hamilton behind in the Ferrari.
LAP 71/72
Verstappen is nearly three seconds ahead, Alonso second with Perez third, but the Mexican has a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Sainz and Hamilton are fighting for P5 just behind #DutchGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/vZTn8OiwSk
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2023
Max Verstappen triumphed for the ninth race in a row, equaling Sebastian Vettel’s record for most consecutive F1 wins. Fernando Alonso finished second on the podium. Pierre Gasly completed the podium, partly due to the time penalty for Perez, but of course also because he drove an excellent race himself.
In the dunes around the Zandvoort circuit, the Dutch fans once again built a solid party, even bigger than yesterday when Verstappen conquered pole.