🔴 The final Dutch Grand Prix was supposed to be a farewell celebration. Eighty thousand orange fans. Verstappen at his home circuit for the last time. What it became was chaos from lap one. Verstappen hit the wall at Turn 14 before the first lap was even complete. Red flag. Standing restart. And Ferrari — with a new floor, a charged Hamilton, every reason to believe — finished fourth and fifth while the championship gap grew from 50 to 59 points. Charles Leclerc shook his head at Lewis Hamilton after the race. That gesture told you everything.
Verstappen’s heartbreak. Three wins in a row from 2021 to 2023. Then Norris in 2024, Piastri in 2025 — Sunday was supposed to be the reclamation. It never happened. Leclerc moved on Piastri at Turn 1, Hamilton reacted, Verstappen was pushed toward the grass. Contact. Then Turn 3 — Lawson alongside, two Red Bulls touching. Then Turn 14 — right rear on the damp white line, rear snaps, concrete wall at high speed. Lawson on the radio: “Is he okay? That was fking huge.”** Verstappen: “Yeah, that’s it. Ah s**t, sorry.” He walked back on foot. The crowd that came to see him win watched him leave.
Alonso’s history. Started last. Sprint qualifying — straight mode failure, P22. Grand Prix qualifying — Q1 elimination. Started from the back of the grid at a circuit where overtaking without the slipstream is almost impossible. Then Verstappen’s crash reshuffled everything. Early pit stop, clean air, perfect execution. P9. Two points. At 45 years old. From a car that had no right to score. 🚨
source
