APEX RACEWIRE Newsroom
Home-race heartbreak: Verstappen retires at Zandvoort
Max Verstappen’s final home race at Circuit Zandvoort has ended early. The Dutch driver is no longer in the race.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-08-23T13:17:07.712Z - 1 min read
A painful end to what is, for now, the final Dutch Grand Prix for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver retired early and is no longer competing. Live timing dropped Verstappen to P22 as the session was interrupted following the incident.
Verstappen started his home race from seventh on the soft tyre. At the start he ran behind Lewis Hamilton and ahead of team-mate Liam Lawson, but his afternoon came to an abrupt end shortly afterwards.
The exact cause of the retirement is still being confirmed. APEX RACEWIRE will update this report when official footage, team radio or a Red Bull statement provides clarity.
The retirement is especially painful because this is set to be the final Formula 1 race at Zandvoort for the foreseeable future. Verstappen won the Dutch Grand Prix three years in a row after its return, in 2021, 2022 and 2023.