Verstappen equals Vettel's nine-race win streak at rain-affected Dutch GP
Max Verstappen matched Sebastian Vettel's record of nine consecutive Formula 1 race wins after emerging victorious in a dramatic, rain-hit Dutch Grand Prix.
Race start under threatening skies
As the formation lap began, light rain started falling with drivers reporting raindrops on their visors.
At the start, Verstappen held his lead while Fernando Alonso jumped George Russell for P3.
The rain quickly worsened, forcing over half the grid including Sergio Perez, Zhou Guanyu and Pierre Gasly to pit for inters by Lap 2.
Verstappen pitted next lap with others like Russell staying out on slicks, allowing Perez to take the race lead.
But Verstappen's pace on inters was strong, and he rapidly caught Perez before retaking the lead with a Lap 11 stop for softs as conditions improved.
First rain pit stop scramble
The worsening rain on the first two laps caught many teams off guard and forced an early switch to intermediates for more than half the field.
Drivers like Russell and Norris gambled by staying out on slicks but struggled for grip.
Verstappen timed his intial stop well and used the intermediate tyres perfectly to fight back and regain the lead.
The first Safety Car came out on Lap 16 as Logan Sargeant crashed out.
At the Lap 22 restart, Verstappen pulled away from Perez while Alonso passed the Mexican for P2. As the leaders settled in, Perez pitted early on Lap 45 for a second set of softs.
When Verstappen pitted on Lap 49, he easily rejoined ahead of Perez still in the lead.
Alonso retook P3 from Carlos Sainz with a great move early in Lap 53. With 15 laps to go, teams prepared for another rain shower.
Late downpour and red flag
As forecast, heavy rain arrived on Lap 61. Perez, Sainz, the Mercedes drivers and more pitted for inters, while Verstappen and Alonso pitted a lap later.
Perez spun at Turn 1 on lap 63 and pitted for wets along with Verstappen. Zhou then crashed in the rain, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car.
With conditions deteriorating, the race was red-flagged on Lap 64 before Perez exited the pits.
After a 43-minute delay, there was a two lap Safety Car period before a six lap sprint to the finish on intermediates.
Verstappen takes historic win
Verstappen aced the restart ahead of Alonso while Perez served a five-second penalty for speeding in the pits.
The Dutchman quickly built a gap to take a record-equalling ninth straight win ahead of Alonso and Gasly who was promoted to the podium.
Sainz finished 5th holding off Hamilton in 6th. Norris was 7th despite a late clash with Russell, who spun and pitted, dropping him out of the points.
It was a dramatic wet-dry race as Verstappen triumphed again at his home Grand Prix to enter the F1 record books once more.
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