The last Dutch GP at Zandvoort is over! After six years of F1 spectacle, the Dutch dune circuit disappears from the calendar. The finale was anything but boring, as is evident from the reactions of the international press. The race was shaken up in the first lap by the bitter retirement of home hero Max Verstappen, who dominates the headlines after a hard crash. This is what the foreign media wrote about the Dutch GP at Zandvoort.
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“A memorable Formula 1 race in the Netherlands,” headlines the German BILD. “It is the last race in the dunes on the North Sea coast; Formula 1 will no longer race here from 2027. And local hero Max Verstappen overshadows the farewell of the Dutch circuit with his crash. In the very first lap, he goes too wide in a corner, drives over the curb, and loses control of the car. A driving error! Verstappen slides sideways over the asphalt and crashes into the wall. Debris flies across the track.”
Memorable finale
According to our eastern neighbors, his last Dutch GP appearance immediately goes down in the history books. “It was supposed to be a memorable race for Verstappen,” the report continues. “He succeeded, but for the wrong reasons.” The French L’Équipe calls it ‘a small miracle’ that Verstappen stepped out of the car unscathed. “The Dutchman did not complete the first lap of his national GP on Sunday,” writes the editor on duty. “Due to the wet conditions on the inside of the last corner, the Red Bull driver lost control of his car. He remained unharmed and behind him, much more serious was prevented.”
Verstappen took the blame himself afterwards. The BBC also emphasizes that the Dutchman made the mistake himself. “Red Bull clearly did not give the Dutchman the car to fight with the leaders, and a sixth place in the sprint and a seventh place in qualifying seemed to be the maximum. But crashing in the first lap of his home race was a big mistake and weighs much heavier than the good work he had done before.”
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‘Serious driving error’
The Spanish AS is surprised that the established champion can still make such a mistake. “He took full responsibility, but no one remembers Verstappen ever making such a serious driving error. It brought an abrupt end to the Dutch celebration.” The Italians from La Gazzetta dello Sport are very harsh in their report on Verstappen. The ‘inglorious’ home hero receives a 4 for his performance in Zandvoort.
In the end, polesitter Lando Norris drove to victory on the Dutch coast. The battles for the leading positions led to compliments from the international media, who visibly enjoyed the finale. “An epic finale for the last race of the F1 weekend,” judges The Guardian.
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