54 minutes Ago
A Costly Mistake in Treacherous Conditions
Speaking afterwards, Verstappen didn't hold back on where the blame lay. He said he'd pushed too hard into a corner, and with the track soaked from rain, his tyres simply gave way beneath him. The spot where it happened was no ordinary corner either - the Arie Luyendykbocht, the circuit's final and most punishing bend, known for its steep banking. Over the radio, a shaken Verstappen could be heard telling his crew, "Guys, I'm sorry, that's it."
The trouble had started with an unexpected downpour that soaked the circuit about half an hour before the scheduled 3 p.m. start, leaving parts of the final sector slippery and unpredictable. Footage from his car's onboard camera captured the moment his RB22 lost grip at the rear, sliding across the wet patch and slamming into the concrete wall before ricocheting back into the middle of the racing line. The hit was severe enough to wreck the side of the car along with its suspension.
Chain Reaction Behind Him, and a Difficult Weekend Overall
The crash set off a scramble among the drivers following close behind. Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi had to throw his car into a deliberate spin just to steer clear of Verstappen's stricken machine and the wreckage scattered across the tarmac.
Truthfully, the whole weekend had been a struggle for Verstappen even before the crash. He'd qualified seventh on Saturday, following a sixth-place finish in the sprint race that same day, and had told reporters he wasn't feeling well, admitting he couldn't wait to get some rest. Things had nearly gone wrong even earlier in the Sunday race too - his stand-in teammate Liam Lawson, filling in for the injured Isack Hadjar, came dangerously close to hitting Verstappen after the opening lap before backing off to let him through.
It's a bitter way to close this chapter for Verstappen, who had claimed victory at this very race three years running since it rejoined the Formula 1 calendar back in 2021.
