Formula 1
MAX MAKES IT NINE IN A ROW! FERNANDO WITH A FANTASTIC DRIVE FOR SECOND AND PIERRE BRINGS HOME THE RENAULT ALPINE FOR THIRD ON THE PODIUM.
Max Verstappen continued his remarkable run of form as he claimed a record-equalling ninth win in a row with a comfortable victory at a rain-affected Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort.
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 27: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Second placed Fernando Alonso of Spain and Aston Martin F1 Team celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of The Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 27, 2023 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool.
The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver mastered the wet conditions as he finished ahead of the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasley in the Alpine, securing an 11th victory of the season and equalling Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine wins in a row.
Verstappen said: “Incredible. They didn’t make it easy for us with the weather to make all the right calls. I’m incredibly proud. I’m going to enjoy this weekend. It’s always tough. The pressure is on to perform and I’m very happy to win here.”
While it was another dominant display from Verstappen, team-mate Sergio Pérez had an up-and-down race, leading for a short period before dropping back, receiving a five-second penalty and eventually finishing in fourth place.
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 27: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and the Red Bull Racing team celebrate after the F1 Grand Prix of The Netherlands at Circuit Zandvoort on August 27, 2023 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool.
New Zealand’s Liam Lawson impressed on his Formula One debut as he managed to guide his Scuderia AlphaTauri car from 20th on the grid at the start to 13th by the chequered flag, while Japanese team-mate Yuki Tsunoda finished in 16th.
FERNANDO:
“It’s a nice feeling to be back on the podium after a very intense race and some intense emotions. I think P2 and fastest lap was the maximum we could have achieved today with the heavy rain and the red flag. It was a very well executed race by our team and it means a lot in front of the passionate fans here in Zandvoort. The AMR23 responded well to everything today and I was in sync with it, it was a good feeling.
I’m probably happier now than I was scoring podiums at the beginning of the year because after we struggled for podiums in July, coming back strong feels incredible. I cannot lie, I thought about passing Max [Verstappen] and if I was side by side with him I wouldn’t have lifted off, but I did not have the full chance. You need some intuition sometimes in the race and there was a bit of rain so I attacked very aggressively. Now I’m looking forward to Monza.”