Checo Pérez Misses Podium Due to Penalty; Verstappen Clinches Ninth Victory

In the Dutch Grand Prix, Checo Pérez failed to secure a podium spot due to a penalty, in another race marked by Max Verstappen.

It was a race filled with emotions, as Max Verstappen clinched his ninth consecutive victory; Checo Pérez missed the podium due to a penalty.

It was a closely contested race, perhaps the closest finish so far, with Fernando Alonso in the second position.

With Checo Pérez’s penalty, the podium featured Verstappen, Alonso, and Pierre Gasly.

This marks Verstappen’s ninth consecutive victory, equaling Sebastian Vettel’s record from the 2013 season.

Spanish driver Sainz secured the fifth place by a margin of six-tenths of a second over Hamilton, while Norris claimed the seventh spot.

Meanwhile, Albon, Piastri, and Ocon rounded out the top ten positions.

The Race in the Netherlands Unfolded Like This

Max Verstappen’s start was fairly clean in a race that marked the restart of the 2023 Formula 1 season.

However, rain made an appearance and altered any pre-planned strategies; in the meantime, Fernando Alonso managed to reach the second position.

As rain forced the drivers to pit on lap 2, one of the first to pit was Checo Pérez.

This stop enabled him to claim the first place on lap four, with Guanyu Zhou trailing behind; Verstappen, who also pitted, held onto the fourth position.

The race’s start was quite exhilarating, with strategies being reshuffled due to the inclement weather.

Verstappen managed to secure the second position with his vehicle’s impressive speed, but Checo Pérez was still in ninth place.

So far, Checo Pérez’s swift strategy allowed him to hold the first position.

Meanwhile, the Ferraris stayed very close. It was a challenging race for Mercedes, but there was still much left to unfold.

As the rain subsided, strategies needed to be reconsidered, leading some drivers to return to the pits.

On lap 11, Verstappen pitted, and it was not the quickest pit stop.

Verstappen took the lead with Pérez’s pit stop, who returned to the race in the second position, three seconds behind the Dutchman.

Rain partially returned to the track, raising the question of returning to the pits. The race was only on its 15th lap.

Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly aimed to reclaim the third position now held by Fernando Alonso.

Safety Car on Lap 16

On lap 16, bad luck continued for Logan Sargeant, who crashed into a wall and was out of the race.

Safety Car emerged, providing a slight advantage to those in the middle and rear of the pack. Distances narrowed.

Bottas, Hulkenberg, Lawson, Russell, and Stroll pitted during the safety car period and opted for medium tires, except for Russell, who chose hard ones.

The race resumed on lap 21, with Alonso vying for Checo Pérez’s second position.

Once again, Verstappen pulled ahead, Carlos Sainz secured the fifth position, and there were no new entrants in the top 10 up to that point.

The race progressed with minimal changes in its first half, apart from Leclerc’s struggles to improve his position.

At lap 40 of the 72-lap race, the top 10 was as follows: Verstappen, Checo Pérez, Alonso, Gasly, Sainz, Albon, Ocon, Tsunoda, Norris, and Hamilton.

The race featured an interesting battle among the Spaniards, with Fernando Alonso losing the podium when he pitted and Sainz entering.

However, this would be a contest as Alonso hunted down his compatriot, ultimately overtaking him on lap 52.

Rain Returns

On lap 61, rain returned once more, dramatically altering the race. Checo Pérez entered the pits, one of the first to do so.

Pérez rejoined the race in fourth place, and Verstappen also made a pit stop. Other drivers switched to intermediate tires.

Checo Pérez now stood in second place, followed by Alonso.

On lap 63, Checo Pérez ran off the track due to intense rain. While he managed to rejoin, he lost second place to Alonso.

Verstappen now switched to tires suitable for heavy rain. The rain intensified, and Pérez followed suit, but then the red flag was waved.

The race was halted due to Zhou hitting the barriers at the first turn.

Everything paused due to rain on lap 65. Checo Pérez found himself trapped in the pits in sixth place.

However, the FIA later explained that due to race conditions, Checo Pérez would restart from third place.

The race ended as follows, according to the official FIA report: Verstappen, Alonso, Pérez, Gasly, Sainz, Hamilton, Norris, Russell, Albon, Sainz, Piastri, Ocon, Tsunoda, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Lawson, Magnussen.

The race restarted with the safety car, as Alonso attempted to surprise Verstappen, while Checo Pérez secured the third position.

Meanwhile, Checo Pérez received a penalty for leaving the track, adding 5 seconds to his time and needing to create a significant gap to retain third place.

George Russell was forced out of the race, possibly due to contact with Norris.

Checo Pérez had been notified, and he made maximum efforts to retain his podium position.

Unfortunately, the Mexican driver couldn’t hold on. Alonso claimed second place, while Checo, due to the penalty, ended up in fourth.

Checo Pérez made two crucial errors that kept him off the podium, a race to reflect upon.