Max Verstappen will never meet Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton after losing Dutch GP victory

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen missed out on a huge chance to reach a rare career milestone at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, which would have placed him among the greatest Formula One drivers to win a race in their 200th grand prix.

The Dutch GP marked a milestone for Verstappen, as it was his 200th race in the premier class. What better scenario could a driver hope for than to win his 200th race at his home track? However, McLaren’s Lando Norris stole the show after powering his MCL38 into the lead on lap 18, despite losing the lead at the start to the Dutchman, who secured second place.

McLaren have shown immense progress in recent months after a mid-season upgrade worked as expected, allowing Oscar Piastri to take his first win in Hungary, followed by Norris’ second victory yesterday. McLaren have not only fended off the threat of Red Bull in recent months, but have also faced challenges from the resurgent Ferrari and Mercedes, the latter surprisingly losing a lot of pace at Zandvoort despite three wins before the summer break.

Red Bull are in a period of decline due to the consistency of the regulations. The team is now tasked with maintaining its lead in both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships, given McLaren’s 12-point surge yesterday, which reduced the gap in the constructors’ championship to 30 points. The gap between Verstappen and Norris for the drivers’ title currently stands at 70 points. With nine races still to go, the title could be won by anyone this season.

Outside of the championships, McLaren’s win at Zandvoort also meant Verstappen missed out on a rare chance to win his 200th F1 race, an opportunity that will never come again. Seven Formula 1 champions have reached the 200-race milestone so far, and only five of them have won their 200th race. These legends include Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Had Verstappen won the Dutch GP, he would have been the sixth driver to join that list.

But it wasn’t just McLaren’s comeback this season that cost him victory. The three-time world champion revealed balance issues with his RB20 after qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, which compromised the car’s handling, forcing him to start second on Sunday. He told the media:

“I had a little moment in Turn 11-12, but it was also a bit of my qualifying in general.

“I never really felt comfortable.

“Every time I went through there were always one or two corners where I felt like I was losing a lot of time. With the gust of wind, it felt like it was very sensitive for us.

“The car was reacting really aggressively. That’s why I think every run I did was different. I just had a different balance every time. It made it very difficult.

“In Q3, I think the first lap was not too bad. I tried to push a little bit more, but everything seems very fast, very on the limit, I would say.

“Nevertheless, I’m happy to be on the front row after Q1, Q2. I’ve never really been in the top five.

“Of course I was trying to save a bit of tyres because I only had four sets, but I never really felt like I was in the fight for pole.

“When you come out of qualifying on the front row, I think that’s good.”