The 2023 Dutch Grand Prix unfolded at Zandvoort, with Max Verstappen emerging victorious in another thrilling race.
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Story of the race
Verstappen kicked off the race with a strong performance in front of his home crowd. On the other hand, George Russell faced a lock-up incident on the opening lap, leading to a loss of positions. In contrast, Fernando Alonso strategically made the most of the situation by gaining two positions early on.
Throughout the race, the ever-changing weather conditions played a pivotal role, with heavy rain appearing at the start of the race. The first lap witnessed a collision between Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, causing damage to Leclerc's front wing. This unfortunate event prompted Leclerc to pit for a front wing replacement on Lap 12. However, Logan Sargeant's race took a disappointing turn as he collided with the barriers for the second time during the weekend. This incident triggered a yellow flag and a safety car period, ultimately ending Sargeant's race on a sour note.
Pierre Gasly encountered a minor setback as he received a 5-second penalty for slightly exceeding the pit lane speed limit by 0.1km/h. The challenges for Leclerc persisted, resulting in his retirement on Lap 43 due to deteriorating floor damage, which affected his downforce by an estimated 5% to 10%.
As the race unfolded, rain returned on Lap 62, prompting most drivers to switch to intermediate tires. Interestingly, Esteban Ocon opted to stay on wet tires, setting him apart from the rest. Sergio Perez faced a tense moment when he locked up both front tires, briefly leaving the track and making slight contact with the barriers. However, he managed to rejoin the race without sustaining substantial damage.
Zhou Guanyu's collision with the barriers at Turn 1 led to a virtual safety car period. Guanyu had to retire his car, and the race was eventually red-flagged. This provided an opportunity for Verstappen and Perez to pit for wet tires. The race took a turn on Lap 64 when it was red-flagged, just after Guanyu's collision, while Perez was in the pits. This decision prevented Perez from rejoining the track, reshuffling the running order.
Consequently, Alonso moved to the second position, with Gasly in the third. Yuki Tsunoda received a 5-second time penalty for his earlier collision with Russell. The FIA clarified that the race restart would involve a rolling start led by the safety car for two laps, with Verstappen leading, followed by Alonso, Perez, and then Gasly.
Carlos Sainz managed to hold off Lewis Hamilton for fifth place, while Lando Norris secured seventh for McLaren. Alex Albon from Williams, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, and Esteban Ocon from Alpine rounded out the points positions.
Later in the race, Russell encountered a puncture due to contact with Lando Norris while fighting for P7. This unfortunate incident caused Russell to drop to P17 due to the damage.
Perez's 5-second penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit opened the door for Gasly to secure a podium finish for the first time since Baku 2021. Gasly's impressive performance allowed him to climb from his starting position of 12th and clinch the third-place podium position, marking his first podium with Alpine. Alonso also secured a spot on the podium, his first since Canada 2023, and was titled the 'Driver of the Day'.
Verstappen secured his ninth consecutive victory, equalling the record established by Sebastian Vettel in 2013. Additionally, this triumph marked his third consecutive win at the Dutch GP. Notably, this accomplishment was achieved in the face of the race's dynamic circumstances, characterized by sporadic heavy rain and a late red flag.
