Max Verstappen missed a significant opportunity to join an elite group of Formula 1 drivers after failing to win the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
This race marked his 200th career start, and winning it would have placed him alongside legends like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, who also celebrated victories in their 200th races.
Verstappen, driving for Red Bull Racing, began the race in pole position but lost the lead to McLaren's Lando Norris on lap 18.
Norris's performance highlighted McLaren's recent improvements, following a successful mid-season upgrade that helped Oscar Piastri secure his first win in Hungary and now led to Norris's second career victory.
As McLaren continues to close the gap in the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull is facing challenges of its own.
The team has seen a decline in performance, with the points gap narrowing to just 30 points after the Dutch GP. Verstappen currently holds a 70-point lead over Norris in the Drivers' Championship, but with nine races remaining, the competition is heating up.
Verstappen's missed chance at Zandvoort is particularly notable because only five of the seven drivers who reached the 200-race milestone have won their 200th race. This opportunity is unlikely to come around again for him.
In addition to McLaren's resurgence, Verstappen struggled with car balance issues throughout the weekend, which affected his qualifying performance and ultimately his race.
Despite starting on the front row, he was unable to capitalize on his position, finishing in second place behind Norris.
He told the media :
“I had a bit of a moment in the [Turn] 11-12, but that was also a bit my qualifying in general.
“I never really felt comfortable.
“Every run, there was always one or two corners where I felt like I was losing a lot of time. With the gust of wind, it seemed like it was very sensitive for us.
“The car was really responding aggressively to it. That’s why I think every single run that I did was different. I just had a different balance every time. It just made it very difficult.
“Q3, I think the first lap wasn’t too bad. I tried to push it a bit more, but everything just seems very snappy, very on the edge, I would say.
“Nevertheless, I’m happy to be on the front row after Q1, Q2. I’ve never really been in that top-five region.
“Of course, I was trying to save tires a bit because I only had four sets, but I never really felt that I was in the fight for pole.
“When you come out of qualifying on the front row, I think that’s okay.”
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