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Verstappen crashes out of Dutch GP as Zandvoort race red-flagged
Max Verstappen crashes his Red Bull out of the Dutch Grand Prix on the opening lap, bringing out an immediate red flag at Zandvoort.
By Nadia van Leeuwen - 2026-08-23T13:24:52.000Z - 2 min read
Max Verstappen crashed out of his home Dutch Grand Prix on the opening lap, triggering a race suspension at Zandvoort. The Red Bull driver lost control of his car at the banked final corner as the field completed the first tour of the damp circuit.
The race had started on a wet-weather-dampened track surface, though all twenty-two drivers opted to begin the grand prix on slick tyres. While the main racing line had dried out sufficiently, the treacherous final turn retained moisture, catching several competitors unawares.
Running in seventh place at the time, Verstappen appeared to touch the damp inside kerb or white line of the corner. The contact immediately tipped his Red Bull into a spin as the car navigated the high-speed Luyendyk curve leading onto the main straight.
As the local hero attempted to catch and correct the slide, his machine snapped violently to the left and struck the outside barrier head-on with heavy impact. The car came to a rest on the circuit in a precarious position, shedding a significant amount of debris across the track.
Verstappen quickly reported to his pit wall over the team radio that he was unhurt in the accident, issuing an apology to his crew before climbing unaided from the damaged chassis. Race control immediately deployed the red flag to halt the race and allow marshals to clear the wreckage.
The champion's exit was not the only moment of drama at the final corner on the opening lap. Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto suffered a massive spin through the same bend, nearly colliding with teammate Nico Hulkenberg while spinning in front of him.
Bortoleto managed to gather his car without striking the wall, while Hulkenberg pulled off a sharp avoidance maneuver to miss his stablemate. Both Audi entries were able to continue through the chaos.
At the moment the red flag stopped proceedings, Lando Norris held the lead of the race ahead of the Mercedes pair, led by Kimi Antonelli. Race control scheduled a restart for 3:33pm local time.