Max Verstappen arrived at the Dutch GP with a Red Bull struggling with speed, grip and stability. The four-time world champion knew that coming into his home race, it would be tough to win. However, this won’t stop the Dutchman from trying to gain every advantage possible to challenge for top honours.
To help get an advantage, Verstappen made a rare mistake after FP1 finished. After the practice started, Max locked up in turn 1 after carrying too much speed into the corner and beached his car in the gravel. This was an uncharacteristic mistake from the 65-time race winner, but why did he make it?
Max Verstappen makes an error after the first practice session at the Dutch GP ends
Max Verstappen would need a miracle to retain his F1 title for a fifth consecutive season. McLaren has a much stronger car than Red Bull this year, meaning Max needs to push to the limit to help his RB21 gain any advantage. This leads to the Dutchman making mistakes that fans are not used to seeing.
After a practice session, drivers are allowed to practice starts on the grid. This is the only opportunity drivers have, and they need to make the most of it. Unfortunately for Verstappen, it went wrong in front of his adoring fans.
Max Verstappen just locked up at the entry of turn 1 and beached his car in the gravel.
The incident happened during a practice start AFTER the chequered flag fell at teh end of FP1. #F1 #DutchGP
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) August 29, 2025
The practice start was fine, but he took too much speed into turn 1 and locked his front right tyre. This meant the car didn’t turn, and he headed straight into the gravel. After the start, Verstappen was trying to see how late he could brake off the line to help overtake a rival or defend from a driver.
The key for Verstappen and Red Bull is that the RB21 managed to avoid hitting the wall. Even though the car had to be craned out of the gravel, no damage was done to the chassis, gearbox, engine components or other important aerodynamic parts. This means Max could focus on getting the setup right for FP2.
Max Verstappen is too far off from the McLaren pace
Red Bull’s pace looks concerning after the first two practice sessions. In FP1, Verstappen was the lead Red Bull driver but was almost a second behind Lando Norris, who topped the session. His lap time put him in P6 behind both Aston Martins.
The second practice session was disrupted by two red flags and the threat of rain. Verstappen looked to have no pace compared to the McLarens and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. However, the four-time world champion found four-tenths in the session and was only 0.588 behind Norris.
FP2 CLASSIFICATION
A flawless Friday for Lando – P1 in both sessions! 👏#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/y3BBSyUkcf
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 29, 2025
The upside on Friday for Red Bull was that Yuki Tsunoda was on a similar pace to his teammate. Tsunoda has lagged behind Verstappen all season, but was given a car on equal footing with Max for the first time. In FP2, Yuki was just three tenths behind Verstappen in P7. This will give him great belief in scoring for the first time since Imola.
Red Bull and Verstappen need to find pace. Their race is not with McLaren, but they need to beat George Russell in the battle for third in the standings. Aston Martin is also posing a threat to Red Bull this weekend. But can the Austrian team bounce back after a poor Friday? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
