ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS Aug 23, 2026 – Max Verstappen walked away uninjured from a heavy crash on the opening lap of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, bringing a premature and disappointing end to what was the final Formula 1 race at Circuit Zandvoort.
The four-time world champion, starting from seventh, lost control of his Oracle Red Bull Racing car at the banked final corner. Pre-race rain had left damp patches on the track, and Verstappen later explained he accelerated too early onto what appeared to be a dry section.
“I got caught out. It was still quite wet in that corner, and as soon as I saw the dry patch coming, I was like, ‘Now you can accelerate,’ but clearly that didn’t work. So probably it was still a bit too early,” he said. He described the impact as “a decent hit, but I’ve had worse.”
The accident triggered an immediate red flag. Verstappen climbed out of the damaged RB22 unaided and confirmed over team radio that he was okay. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies emphasised the priority: “The most important thing is that Max is okay. It was a pretty big shunt, and we are all glad to see that he’s out of the car, unharmed.”
Speaking afterwards in the media pen, Verstappen summed up the weekend frankly: “This weekend, of course, [was] disappointing. I think disappointing pace, and a disappointing end to the weekend. I think you can sum it up like that.”
After a lengthy stoppage, the race restarted and Lando Norris (McLaren) went on to take victory ahead of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell (both Mercedes). Red Bull’s Liam Lawson finished seventh to score the team’s only points.
Verstappen, who had been unwell all weekend and recently extended his Red Bull contract until 2030, reflected on the farewell to his home circuit: “I wish I had a better last race here, but I’ve had so many positive and beautiful moments on this track.”
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