Max Verstappen’s home Dutch Grand Prix ended in disappointment on Sunday after the Red Bull driver crashed on the opening lap, bringing the race to a halt.
The four-time world champion escaped the incident
unhurt and reassured his team over the radio, saying: “I’m OK”.
Verstappen, who had started seventh, lost control while negotiating a corner before hitting the barriers. His car then slid across the circuit, forcing Alpine’s Pierre Gasly to take evasive action.
Max Verstappen crashes out at Zandvoort 🎥
Here’s what happened 👇#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/cu1R80ISZv
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2026
The Dutchman had dominated the first three editions of the Dutch Grand Prix after the race returned to the calendar in 2021. However, McLaren drivers had taken victory in the 2024 and 2025 editions.
The early exit was a major setback for the “orange army”, with thousands of Dutch supporters filling the Zandvoort circuit to back their home hero. This year’s event is the final Dutch Grand Prix after promoters decided to end the race for financial reasons.
Norris Wins Dutch GP 2026
McLaren’s defending world champion Lando Norris sealed his second successive win of the ongoing F1 season after staring on pole. He was locked in an entertaining three-way battle with season leader Kimi Antonelli and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
This is the third year in a row that McLaren have won the Dutch Grand Prix.
“I made it tough for myself today, but a good race. Well fought. Probably one of my better wins. We had to fight for it well, but the pace was very strong,” said Norris.
“I managed things incredibly well today. So over the moon, very, very happy and nice to win the final race here in Zandvoort,” added the 26-year-old, who also won the previous Grand Prix in Hungary before the summer break.
The 19-year-old Antonelli has a 59-point lead at the top of the table.
“Just didn’t have the feeling with the car that was sliding a lot overall,” Antonelli said. “Now as a team, we need to find a little bit of time because McLaren have done a huge step. So yeah, we’ve got to keep pushing,” he said.
