original title:
F1 Dutch Grand Prix: Verstappen wins at home
Xinhua|
In qualifying on the 3rd, Verstappen beat Ferrari driver Leclerc with a slight advantage of 0.021 seconds, and took pole position in the Dutch Grand Prix for two consecutive years.
After the start of the race that day, Verstappen held his position at turn 1, and Mercedes driver Hamilton and Ferrari driver Sainz collided slightly. On the 11th lap, Verstappen and Leclerc had already opened the gap with the driver behind them to more than 5 seconds.
On the 18th lap, Leclerc pitted to change the tires and came out fourth. Verstappen pitted on the next lap, returned to the track and squeezed in front of Leclerc, just behind the two Mercedes cars that had not yet pitted. On the 28th lap, Verstappen easily overtook Mercedes driver Russell at Turn 1 and regained the leading position.
On the 48th lap, Toro Rosso driver Kakuda Yuyi pulled out of the pit lane and parked the car next to the track, triggering a virtual safety car. The three leading drivers took advantage of the virtual safety car to complete the pit stop and held their positions after exiting the station. On the 55th lap, Bottas’ Alfa Romeo car malfunctioned and stopped at the end of the big straight. The safety car was dispatched, and Verstappen and other drivers pitted to change tires.
The race resumed on lap 61, Verstappen took advantage of the tires to quickly overtake Hamilton, returned to the leading position and gradually opened up the distance. Russell and Leclerc then overtook Hamilton.
In the end, Verstappen won the championship at home for two consecutive years and won the tenth championship of the season. Russell won the runner-up, tying the best record of his personal career, and Leclerc won the third place. The Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu of the Alfa Romeo team was caught in the middle group fight after the start. He was fined 5 seconds for speeding in the pit lane during the race, and finally finished the race in 16th place.
After 15 races, Verstappen continued to expand the lead in the standings with 310 points. Leclerc and Red Bull driver Perez ranked second with 201 points. In terms of teams, Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes are still in the top three. The next stop, the Italian Grand Prix, will take place on September 11.