Max Verstappen admitted his huge crash at the Dutch Grand Prix 'could have been a lot worse' after losing control of his Red Bull on the opening lap at Zandvoort. Verstappen caught too much of the damp kerb through the banked corner and hit the outside barriers hard before stopping in front of a packed crowd. The incident caused a red flag, but he walked away unharmed from what is likely his final Dutch GP, as the event lacks a contract beyond this year.

He explained he thought a dry line allowed acceleration, but it suddenly gripped more than expected, catching him out. Despite the severity, he noted it could have been worse with cars behind him, but all went well. Verstappen called it a dramatic end to a disappointing first race after the summer break, days after signing a new Red Bull contract until at least 2030.

He started and finished the Sprint in sixth, half a second behind Mercedes and McLaren in qualifying. Verstappen said the weekend highlighted Red Bull being the fourth fastest team on average, admitting they are behind and want to be closer. He noted performance improvements may only come next year with changes not possible this season.

Team boss Laurent Mekies said there is nowhere to hide, calling it a difficult weekend and a step back from pre-break form, needing to assess if the issue is circuit-specific or related to prior upgrades.