Max Verstappen crashes out of final Dutch GP

Max Verstappen’s final home Dutch Grand Prix ended almost immediately after a heavy first-lap crash at Zandvoort, preventing the Red Bull driver from recovering from a difficult weekend. His accident forced race control to suspend the event with a red flag and brought an early end to his final appearance at the circuit’s Dutch GP.

The quadruple world champion had already endured a below-par build-up. He finished sixth in the sprint and took seventh place on the qualifying grid, leaving him with ground to make up in the main race. Conditions were also unsettled, with parts of the track still wet while other sections were drying after the start. Verstappen lost control of his RB22 on the inside of the final banked corner, slid across the circuit and hit the outside barrier with considerable force.

The crash did not develop into a major chain reaction. Gabriel Bortoletto spun, although his incident did not appear to result directly from Verstappen’s accident. Pierre Gasly and Nico Hülkenberg, among the drivers approaching the scene, managed to avoid the wreckage. Marshals responded quickly before the red flag was shown moments later. Verstappen reassured his race engineer over team radio that he was unharmed, then left the car unaided. The result leaves his last Dutch GP defined by an early retirement rather than a recovery drive, ending a home weekend in which he had finished outside the top five in the sprint and qualifying.