Max Verstappen suffers big crash at Dutch Grand Prix
23rd August 2026Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will not see the chequered flag at the final running of the Dutch Grand Prix after the four-time world champion crashed out on lap one.
Feature image credit: Getty Images // Red Bull Content Pool
Verstappen will not end the tenure of the Dutch Grand Prix as a race finisher at the 2026 edition of the event, after the four-time world champion crashed at the final corner on the first lap of the F1 race.
The Dutchman lost control on the final corner after his car snapped underneath him on the banked corner, and as Verstappen tried to collect the car, it was too late. He veered into the outside barrier, damaging his car significantly before sliding across the track to stop on the inside barrier.
His car could not continue, having lost a wheel and suffered significant terminal damage. Thankfully, Verstappen was okay, and he quickly climbed out of the wreck before returning to the paddock.
‘That was f*****g huge’ was the response of his stand-in teammate, Liam Lawson, who was following his temporary teammate at the Zandvoort circuit, before asking if the four-time champ was okay.
The Dutch driver started the race in seventh and immediately found himself in a fight with the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton, who had to kink left to avoid his fast-starting teammate, Charles Leclerc. This compromised the Dutchman as Verstappen veered onto the left-side grass verge.
The Red Bull driver was able to continue on but quickly tussled with Lawson as they battled for position around turn three, towards turn seven. That inter-team battle was quickly settled with Verstappen winning that on-track fight.
However, on the final corner, Verstappen lost control of his car and crashed.
He was not the only driver to suffer a moment at that corner, as Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto spun out at the same corner, narrowly missing his teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Bortoleto, though, was able to continue without hitting the wall.
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Lando Norris seals Dutch Grand Prix pole ahead of George Russell
- Antonelli tops FP1 after F1 summer break at Dutch GP
- ‘I think it was the right call’ says Max Verstappen on Red Bull announcement
- Driver swap at Red Bull stable ahead of Dutch Grand Prix
- Mercedes expects more demanding second half of F1 season
- Honda power unit upgrade to Zandvoort for F1 Dutch Grand Prix
- Dutch Grand Prix: Full starting times ahead of F1 sprint weekend
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
