Max Verstappen has equalled Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine successive Formula 1 wins with victory at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 27. Fernando Alonso claimed the second spot for Aston Martin and Pierre Gasly took his first Alpine podium in the rain-hit race. Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez came fourth.
Verstappen had claimed pole on August 26, but lost his lead as heavy rain during the first lap led to a major reshuffle of the order, with the track becoming more suited to intermediate tyres than the slicks the entire field had started on. Perez then took the lead, but as the rain stopped and the surface became favourable for slick tyres again, 25-year-old Verstappen reclaimed the lead. Following a delay of more than 40 minutes, he calmly controlled a rolling restart on intermediate tyres.
With the Dutch Grand Prix win, Verstappen will now have the opportunity at Italian Grand Prix on September 3 to move beyond the nine successive wins Sebastian Vettel recorded for Red Bull in 2013.
The recent triumph also maintained Red Bull’s record of having won every race this season, with the team’s record run of victories, which goes back to the final race of 2022, now at 14. Verstappen’s latest win takes him closer to a third successive drivers’ title, extending his advantage over Perez to 138 points with nine races to go.
