Dutch GP: Champion Max Verstappen shines on home turf

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with his trophy after winning the Dutch GP

Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen on Sunday raced to a second successive win for Red Bull in his home Dutch Grand Prix. The Red Bull racer prevailed in a race of safety car interruptions and strategy gambles to cross the line four seconds ahead of Mercedes racer George Russell. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third.

Verstappen had started the race from the front after seizing pole in a hard-fought qualifying session on Saturday. He made a good start, keeping the lead off the line. But the 24-year-old had to work hard to deliver for his orange-clad fans packing the stands, especially with Mercedes and old rival Lewis Hamilton threatening to rain on Verstappen's parade with a one-stop strategy.

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Hamilton, in fact, looked set for his first win of the year with the Briton moving into the lead behind a late race safety car ahead of team mate George Russell after Verstappen opted to pit. But a subsequent pitstop for Russell put Verstappen, on fresher tyres, back on Hamilton's tail leaving him vulnerable to the Red Bull at the restart in a scenario reminiscent of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton, raging on the team radio, finished fourth after being passed by Russell and Leclerc, the two Mercedes team mates nearly coming together on the start-finish straight. "Not a straightforward race, we had to push the whole race," said Verstappen, after taking his 10th win of the season and fourth in a row.