Max Verstappen walks away from high-speed crash on opening lap of home race

By Scott Hunt, Press Association F1 Reporter, Zandvoort

Max Verstappen’s final home race ended with a huge high-speed crash at the end of the first lap at Zandvoort.

The Dutchman rounded the 18-degree banked final bend in front of his fervent home support, appearing to dip a tyre onto the kerb on the inside before sliding across the track and thumping into the barriers.

His left rear tyre flew off and went rolling across the track, with the 28-year-old quickly confirming that he was fine from inside the wreckage of his Red Bull.

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Heavy rain had fallen 45 minutes before lights out at Zandvoort – hosting the final Dutch Grand Prix before it drops off the calendar – but all cars started on slick tyres in the slippery conditions.

Verstappen, fresh from signing a new Red Bull deal this week, started seventh and retained that position following an elbows-out tussle with team-mate for this weekend Liam Lawson.

But his race came to a shuddering halt moments later. “Yeah that’s it. Ah I’m sorry,” he said on the radio.

The race was immediately red-flagged as all cars returned to the pit lane.