Dutch Grand Prix: Winners and Losers

We predicted the rain would affect the Dutch Grand Prix, and it certainly added a dollop of chaos to Max Verstappen’s third consecutive victory at Zandvoort. We take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Dutch GP.

Fernando Alonso scored his seventh podium finish of the season, and Pierre Gasly’s brilliant third-place finish was his first podium place in 2023. 

Zhou Guanyu, Logan Sargeant, and Charles Leclerc, all failed to finish the race, but there were other losers too. 

Winners

Max Verstappen – The Dutch driver scooped his ninth win in a row, equaling Sebastian Vettel’s record. However, Verstappen can thank his team for letting him undercut teammate Sergio Perez on lap 12 despite the Mexican leading the race. Verstappen controlled proceedings from then on despite more Safety Cars and a red flag towards the end. 

Pierre Gasly – The Frenchman’s luck finally turned as he scored third place in Zandvoort after two DNFs in his last four races. The 27-year-old began the race in 12th position and fended off a five-second penalty to finish ahead of Perez who suffered the same fate. The Alpine’s pace will give both Gasly and Esteban Ocon confidence ahead of Monza.

Alex Albon – The Thai driver’s stock rose considerably this weekend and he put together a strong performance from Friday to Sunday to finish eighth. He qualified fourth and said he felt a sixth-place finish would’ve been more representative of his performance. Albon managed his tyre degradation well, with the low temperature aiding his efforts. Overall Williams was strong at Zandvoort and Albon’s strong showing is being watched closely around the paddock. 

Losers

Sergio Perez – A quick call to swap slicks for intermediates by the Mexican saw him move high up the grid and hold a 10-second gap over Verstappen after most drivers pitted. However, team orders saw Verstappen undercut Perez. He questioned the call, but by then it was too late. A late five-second penalty relegated him to fourth and ended a miserable weekend. He let himself down by qualifying seventh, and at Zandvoort, it was always going to be hard starting from low down on the grid. 

Daniel Ricciardo – The Australian had his Dutch GP cut short after a crash at the banked Turn 3 in second free practice. The eight-time GP winner flew to Barcelona for surgery on his broken metacarpal in his left hand. Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson stood in for the former McLaren man. It was Ricciardo’s second GP weekend since he replaced Nyck de Vries. He faces a month out of the seat and could miss at least three races. Ricciardo’s move to AlphaTauri was seen as a chance for him to fight for the second Red Bull seat that will become vacant in 2025. One can’t help thinking the wind has been taken out of his sails, despite the AlphaTauri driver writing on Instagram: “This ain’t a setback, just all part of the comeback.”

Charles Leclerc / Ferrari – The Monegasque driver finished a miserable weekend by not classifying after a crash with Oscar Piastri on the opening lap. He complained about the balance of the car all weekend and qualified in the lowly ninth position. After he pitted for intermediates, Leclerc ran as high as fifth, but the damage rendered the SF-23 too slow and the team retired the car. After finishing third in Belgium before the summer break, Leclerc would’ve wanted to maintain his momentum in the Low countries. 

Sean Parker

Sean Parker is a motorsport journalist and sports content creator at The South African. He has worked for the country's premier motoring publications, and is a Formula 1 contributor to Bet.co.za, the Bet Central podcast, and Vision View Sports radio.