Verstappen Breeze Past Hamilton On World Ranking, Wins Dutch Grand Prix

Max Verstappen snatched the world championship lead from Lewis Hamilton on Sunday as the Red Bull driver produced a scintillating performance to win the first Dutch Grand Prix since 1985.

A week after the farcical washout in Belgium, pole-sitter Verstappen controlled the race from the start in bright sunshine at a circuit set in coastal sand dunes at the beach resort of Zandvoort.

His seventh win in 13 races this season turned a three-point deficit into a three-point lead over seven-time world champion Hamilton ahead of Monza next weekend.

Hamilton came in second, setting the fastest lap on the final lap to earn a consolation bonus point, with Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas a distant third.

"As you can hear already, it's just incredible," said Verstappen, roared on by some 70,000 orange-clad fans at a venue where the last winner was Niki Lauda for McLaren 36 years ago.

"Expectations were high going into the weekend, I'm so happy to win here. It's such an amazing day, the whole crowd, incredible."

Verstappen, who earned half points for his win over two laps behind the safety car at Spa last Sunday, pulled away on the opening lap here, keeping Hamilton in his rear-view mirror and surging clear.

A narrow track with punishing deep gravel traps made overtaking difficult, prompting Mercedes to use varying strategies for Hamilton and Bottas to ramp up the pressure on Verstappen.

Hamilton pitted on lap 21, inducing Red Bull to immediately call Verstappen in and leaving Bottas briefly at the head of the field.

Verstappen retook the lead as he burst past Bottas down the final straight on lap 31 to the sound of bellowing roars from the grandstand, but with the Finn having allowed Hamilton to eat away at the gap to the Dutchman.

RESULTS:

1. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-Honda) 1hr 30min 5.395sec
2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) at 20.932sec
3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 56.460
4. Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Honda) 1 lap
5. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1 lap
6. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine-Renault) 1 lap
7. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull-Honda) 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 1 lap
10. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1 lap
11. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) 1 lap
12. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 2 laps
13. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 2 laps
14. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) 2 laps
15. Robert Kubica (POL/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) 2 laps
16. Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 2 laps
17. George Russell (GBR/Williams-Mercedes) 3 laps
18. Mick Schumacher (GER/Haas-Ferrari) 3 laps

Fastest lap: Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)

DNF: Nikita Mazepin (RUS/Haas-Ferrari), Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Honda), George Russell (GBR/Williams)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: DRIVERS

1. Max Verstappen (NED) 224.5 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 221.5
3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 123
4. Lando Norris (GBR) 114
5. Sergio Perez (MEX) 108
6. Charles Leclerc (MON) 92
7. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 89.5
8. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 66
9. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 56
10. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 46
11. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 44
12. Sebastian Vettel (GER) 35
13. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 18
14. Lance Stroll (CAN) 18
15. George Russell (GBR) 13
16. Nicholas Latifi (CAN) 7
17. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 2
18. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA) 1
19. Mick Schumacher (GER) 0
20. Nikita Mazepin (RUS) 0
21. Robert Kubica (POL) 0

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: CONSTRUCTORS

1. Mercedes 344.5 pts
2. Red Bull-Honda 332.5
3. Ferrari 181.5
4. McLaren-Mercedes 170
5. Alpine-Renault 90
6. AlphaTauri-Honda 84
7. Aston Martin-Mercedes 53
8. Williams-Mercedes 20
9. Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari 3
10. Haas-Ferrari 0