Max Verstappen took the win after a red flag

Verstappen won – from Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – to complete a five-lap sprint to equal his record nine consecutive victories after Joe Guanyu’s heavy crash at Turn 1 led to a red flag.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez lost third on the way to Gasly due to a penalty for speeding in the pits.

2023 F1 Dutch Grand Prix Results

How the 2023 F1 Dutch Grand Prix unfolded

On a dry track, and on soft slick tyres, Verstappen led Lando Norris (McLaren) and George Russell (Mercedes) into Turn 1. Alonso took third from Russell at Turn 3. End corners.

Perez, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Jue (Alfa Romeo) and Gasly battled for the intermediates at the end of lap one, but Leclerc’s tires were not ready for Ferrari and he lost more time.

Alonso passed Norris for second on the exit of Turn 3, before Verstappen and Alonso raced for Inter at the end of the second lap. Norris pulled away, but Russell passed him in the first turn 1.

Perez, the first car in the Inters, passed Norris and Russell and advanced to midway through lap three, with Joe moving up to second thanks to his early stop.

Norris was out a lap later (down to 12^Th) but Russell was off the slicks for another slow tour and he slipped to 14.^ThOne place behind teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Perez led Joe, Gasley and Verstappen, who was 14 seconds behind the leader by lap five. Verstappen passed Gasley at Turn 3, while Alonso moved back into the top five, ahead of Leclerc. Verstappen passed Joe at Turn 3 on lap seven, now within 10 of leader Perez and carving into his lead.

Chow and Alonso pitted for slicks on lap 11 and Verstappen did the same a lap later. As Perez went a lap longer, Verstappen overtook him to take the lead by 3.5 seconds.

Alonso made short work of Xavi, while Gasly and Sainz also moved ahead of him. Leclerc suffered another delay as the Ferrari changed his front wing when the Ferrari turned into slicks, dropping him to 13th.^ThAnd he later retired with ground damage after clipping Oscar Piastre’s McLaren early on.

Logan Sargent crashed his Williams at Turn 8, which brought out the safety car on Lap 17.

The race resumed on lap 22 with Verstappen leading Perez, Alonso, Gasly, Sainz and Chow. Alex Albon, who didn’t put his Williams in midfield, moved past Kevin Magnussen’s Haas for seventh, then took sixth from Chow.

Verstappen led by 5 seconds at half distance, 4 seconds behind Alonso Perez. On lap 42, Sainz was aware that Gasley had been penalized 5 seconds for speeding in the pitlane for too many softs from fifth, and that he was fourth when Gasley stopped on lap 47.

Perez rejoined the field, but was 8 seconds behind Verstappen when he did so. Alonso was brought to a slow stop after his left-front tire did not release, briefly elevating Sainz to third.

Verstappen pitted for the final time on lap 50, rejoining 6 seconds ahead. Alonso chased Sainz, still 11 seconds behind. Alonso was able to regain his podium position with 20 laps to go, passing Sainz in the Tarzan.

Sinnes and a late, but fresh tired, Gasley battled for fourth, Gasley making a great lap-out pass at Turn 1. Russell re-entered the top six due to a hard tire gamble, but Alban, who developed a bold one-stop strategy from soft to medium, passed him at Tarzan with 18 laps to go. Hamilton passed Russell for seventh and the latter clipped the grass and nearly crashed.

Perez, Gasly, Sainz and Hamilton raced on lap 61 when the rain returned with a vengeance. Verstappen sat down a lap later as Alonso and Alphonse followed suit.

The race reset to Verstappen 19 seconds ahead of Perez, Alonso, Gasley, Sainz, Hamilton, Norris, Russell and Albon. But Perez went straight and spun in Tarzan, losing second to Alonso. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) dropped out and rejoined before Jove crashed hard there.

Verstappen and Perez (who hit the wall at the pitlane entrance) stopped for extreme wetness as the virtual safety car, then the red flag was called, Verstappen retained the lead but Perez dropped to sixth, promoting Gasley, Sainz and Hamilton. But order was restored from the sector before the red flag, meaning Perez was promoted back to third.

After a couple of laps behind the safety car, all the cars in between, the race resumed with Verstappen leading Alonso, Perez, Gasley, Sainz, Hamilton and Norris for five laps. Russell passed Norris at Turn 3 for seventh, but his Mercedes toured the pitlane at the end of lap 68 and suffered a puncture after colliding with Norris around the lap.

Alonso kept Verstappen honest until the end, but the home hero won by more than 3 seconds. Perez received a 5 second penalty for speeding in the pitlane and Gasley took the final spot on the podium.

Sainz held off Hamilton for fifth after a fierce battle, ahead of Norris, Alban and Piastre.

2023 F1 Dutch Grand Prix Fastest Laps

2023 F1 Dutch Grand Prix Tire Strategy