Max Verstappen navigated his way through a chaotic and dramatic rain-hit Dutch Grand Prix to equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine victories in a row. Pole-sitter Verstappen found himself down in 13th place after seven drivers – including Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez – took advantage of a sudden first-lap downpour to move on to wet tyres. The Dutchman regained the lead on lap 13 of 72 only for the race to be red-flagged with just eight laps to run after Zhou Guanyu crashed out following a second heavy shower. A 43-minute suspension followed as the tyre barrier at the opening corner was repaired. But Verstappen beat Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in a six-lap dash to the chequered flag to match Vettel’s streak, set in 2013. Perez finished third but was demoted a place after he was hit with a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, allowing Pierre Gasly to take the final spot on the podium. Carlos Sainz finished fifth, holding off Lewis Hamilton, with Lando Norris seventh. George Russell was forced to retire his Mercedes following a late duel with Norris. Verstappen, whose Red Bull team remain unbeaten this season, extended his championship lead from 125 points to 138 ahead of next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Dark clouds gathered in the minutes ahead of Sunday’s round in Zandvoort, 30 miles outside of Amsterdam, and just a handful of corners into the start, the heavens opened. While Verstappen and the leading pack tiptoed their way round the 2.65-mile circuit, Perez – who started in seventh – was called in by his quick-thinking Red Bull team for the intermediate tyres. With the rain still falling, Verstappen sensibly stopped the next time round but McLaren’s Lando Norris and the Mercedes of Russell stayed out on the slick rubber despite the worsening conditions. Hamilton, who started 13th, was also sent round for another lap despite the seven-time world champion’s obvious concerns. “We should have come in, man,” he said over the radio. “It is very wet.” “Copy, Lewis,” said his race engineer Peter Bonnington. “We’re going to stay out. We’re going to have to brave this.” But at the end of the third lap, Hamilton was in for wet tyres. He rejoined the track in last place. Russell was still sliding around on slicks before he was changed on to the wet rubber at the end of lap four. When the dust settled, Hamilton and Russell occupied 16th and 18th places. “I was forecast a podium,” said Russell on the radio. “F***, how did we mess this up?” By now the rain had relented and dry line was already starting to emerge, and, despite his early handicap, the all-conquering Verstappen was, predictably, on the march. On lap six he raced past Gasly for third before moving up to second a lap later as he blasted ahead of Zhou. Perez was seven seconds up the road. Verstappen was taking chunks out of Perez – on one lap as many as four seconds – before he reverted to slicks on lap 11. Perez stopped the next time round but emerged three seconds behind the flying Dutchman, who was now back in the lead, and back in control. On lap 15, Logan Sargeant was back in the wall a day after crashing out in qualifying. The American was unharmed but the safety car was deployed to retrieve his machine. Mercedes called Russell in for his third stop of the afternoon, putting him on the hardest, durable tyre in the hope it would see him through to the end of the race. With Sargeant’s wounded Williams out of the way, the race resumed on lap 21. Verstappen controlled the restart to leave team-mate Perez trailing. Verstappen raced off into the distance with Hamilton and Russell beginning their fightback through the pack. The Mercedes men were back in the top 10 but with only a dozen laps remaining, the rain returned with vengeance. The drivers were back in the pits for intermediate tyres before Perez spun his Red Bull at the opening corner and lost second to Alonso. As the downpour intensified, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou aquaplaned at the first corner and thudded into the tyre wall. Hamilton also ran off at the opening bend but managed to keep his Mercedes out of the barriers and rejoined the track. Race director Niels Wittich red-flagged the race. After a lengthy suspension the event was back under way at 5.14pm local time with two laps behind the safety car and a rolling start. Alonso sensed his first win in a decade but despite the tricky conditions, Verstappen kept Alonso behind, crossing the line 3.7 seconds clear of the Spaniard. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in F1 history – Lando Norris Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix after breaking wrist in practice

Six children are among the eight people who have been trapped all day Tuesday in a cable car dangling over a deep valley in Pakistan, with military helicopters hovering nearby...

Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann has been arrested by a special task force who have been focusing on the murders

'If you're in the public eye, everyone having an opinion adds extra layer of difficulty,' said Bella Ramsay when asked about her relationship status

A comedian in New York who joked about the safety of Malaysian planes in an apparent reference to the disappearance of flight MH370 has sparked a heated backlash in Malaysia and Singapore.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 2023--

'It's crazy, the responsibility to feel as a parent, but really I look to them and they teach me so much,' said Jessica Simpson

Ana Navarro shared a piece of advice on 'The View' as the panel discussed 'snooping' on your partner

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS More than 75 countries will "commit to take action to end the use

SAN FRANCISCO President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that a government shutdown is not evitable, but that if

A California woman has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after lying to authorities that a couple was attempting to kidnap her children, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.

Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington will square off in a tantalising, all-British clash this weekend. Wood, 35, puts his WBA featherweight title on the line in the main event in Sheffield, as he looks to extend his second run with the belt. The Nottingham fighter lost the gold with a stoppage defeat by Mauricio Lara in February, but he avenged that loss in a rematch in May, beating the Mexican on points. Meanwhile, Warrington is looking for his third world-title reign, following two stints as IBF champion between 2018 and 2022. The Leeds fighter’s recent record is patchy, however. Like Wood, Warrington was stopped by Lara in his first fight with the Mexican in 2021, but he was unable to avenge that loss in the manner that “Leighthal” did, instead drawing with Lara in a rematch due to a clash of heads. Warrington, 32, did bounce back with a stoppage win over old rival Kiko Martinez, but he was then beaten by Luis Alberto Lopez in December. Here’s all you need to know about Saturday’s main event. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? The fight is set to take place on Saturday 7 October, at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield. The main card is due to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are expected at approximately 10pm BST (2pm PT, 4pm CT, 5pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on Dazn. A subscription to the streaming service is available to purchase here. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds Wood – 2/5 Warrington – 21/10 Draw – 14/1 Full odds via Betway. • Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Leigh Wood (C) vs Josh Warrington (WBA featherweight title) Terri Harper vs Cecilia Braekhus (for Harper’s WBA super-welterweight title; vacant WBO title) Hopey Price vs Connor Coghill (featherweight) Kieron Conway vs Linus Udofia (middleweight) Junaid Bostan vs Corey McCulloch (super-welterweight) Cameron Vuong vs Engel Gomez (super-featherweight) Koby McNamara vs Francisco Rodriguez (bantamweight) Nico Leivars vs Ryan Walker (super-bantamweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Anthony Joshua training with former Tyson Fury coach ahead of potential Deontay Wilder clash Tyson Fury contacts cruiserweight champion for help before Oleksandr Usyk showdown ‘Nobody can beat this Canelo’: Alvarez dominates Jermell Charlo for statement win in undisputed clash Who is fighting on the Wood vs Warrington undercard tonight? What time does Wood vs Warrington start tonight? Leigh Wood: I’m Josh Warrington’s last chance to get back into title contention