Sad farewell
The last Dutch Grand Prix of Max Verstappen‘s career could not have gone worse. The Dutchman, who had always finished on the podium at Zandvoort until 2025, ended his Sunday race after less than a lap, destroying his RB22 against the barriers after losing control of the car due to his own distraction. The four-time world champion actually caught a patch of still wet track with his front right wheel, then failing to save the car.
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Throughout the weekend Verstappen was affected and far from his ideal physical condition and certainly Sunday’s crash did not improve the situation. “I didn’t feel well, so I’m looking forward to enjoying a week off where I can simply recover, because I really haven’t been well at all,” the Red Bull #3 told Dutch media after the race.
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No miracles
However, Verstappen also made it clear that he does not expect miracles for the second half of the season; 2026 could really become his first season without wins at Red Bull. “I would like more, but you have to be realistic – admitted the Dutch champion – this season we are the fourth fastest team, so it’s not like arriving at Zandvoort we could suddenly perform some magic. It’s simply like that. The other teams have introduced upgrades; we haven’t. When you are already struggling, this makes it even harder. So there is nothing surprising; it’s simply the reality we live in.”
