© EPA-EFE
Max Verstappen has resumed the second half of the F1 season with a victory. In the Grand Prix of the Netherlands there was again no mate of Verstappen, who was in the lead from start to finish except for a few laps. With his new victory in Zandvoort, Verstappen equals an illustrious record: he has now won nine times in a row, just like Sebastian Vettel, who also drove for Red Bull at the time.
The rain fell in buckets in many places in Europe today and Zandvoort was no different. Already in round two the floodgates opened. Max Verstappen had managed to cash in on his pole position moments earlier and was in the lead for a blistering Orange legion.
The rain was the signal for many riders to immediately make their first pit stop. Sergio Perez was the first driver to switch to wet tires and take over the lead from teammate Verstappen. At least for a while, because not much later the Dutchman passed Perez again.
Red flag
A lead that Mad Max would not relinquish. Eight laps from the end, the race was temporarily stopped by heavy rain on the circuit. There had been several crashes before. The Fin Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, among others, ended up hard in the boarding due to the slippery track. Shortly afterwards, the red flag was waved and the drivers had to leave the circuit.
After a delay of more than half an hour, the game finally resumed. After two laps behind the safety car, Max Verstappen did not relinquish his leading position. Good for a three consecutive win in Zandvoort and a ninth consecutive win of the season. With this, the 25-year-old Dutchman equals the record of the German Sebastian Vettel from 2013.
The round in the Netherlands was scheduled to be the fourteenth GP of the season, but the Emilia-Romagna GP at the Imola circuit was canceled in mid-May due to flooding in the region. The next World Cup round of the season, the GP of Italy, is scheduled for next Sunday (September 3) at the Autodromo Nazionale in Monza.