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More wet-weather fun but the Verstappen run cont inues
Wet weather often throws up dramatic or unusual races, and Formula 1 2023’s return following the summer break certainly provided plenty of action. But, as we’ve come to expect recently, the dominant combination was still Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
Jake Boxall-Legge explains on page 18 how Verstappen overcame the Zandvoort conditions and a less-than-perfect strategy to take his ninth consecutive world championship victory. That tally matches the record held by Red Bull’s first star, Sebastian Vettel, in 2013 and Ferrari legend Alberto Ascari across 1952-53 (if we exclude the anomalous, points-counting Indianapolis 500). The record will surely fall on Ferrari’s home ground this weekend.
Verstappen is also climbing up the list of wet-weather F1 winners. His Dutch Grand Prix success was his seventh rain-affected victory, putting him on a par with Jenson Button in fourth on the all-time table. Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Ayrton Senna are all some way ahead but, such is the 25-year-old’s current level, it seems many records could be at risk before someone turns the tables.
Elsewhere, Ash Sutton continued his march to the British Touring Car Championship title, despite the pace of Tom Ingram at Donington Park (p34), while Scott Dixon once again performed an IndyCar miracle to win from 16th on the grid at St Louis (p48).
And for those who like their nostalgia – and F1 races fought out between Williams, Tyrrell, Lotus and McLaren – the Silverstone Festival celebrated the circuit’s 75th birthday in style (p40).
Kevin Turner Chief Editor
kevin.turner@autosport.com
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Cover image Peter Fox/Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
PIT & PADDOCK 4 F1 silly season poised to get sillier 6 Ericsson deal leaves Grosjean in limbo 8 Alpine Hypercar hits track for testing 11 Bird flies to McLaren Formula E team 13 Italian Grand Prix preview 15 Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas 16 Guest column: Jonny Edgar 17 Feedback: your letters
RACE CENTRE 18 Dutch GP report and analysis 34 BTCC: Ingram’s speed, Sutton’s lead 40 Best of the Silverstone Festival 48 World of Sport: IndyCar; F2; ELMS;
TCR World Tour; IMSA; Porsche Supercup; Super GT; Indy NXT; Le Mans Cup; NASCAR
CLUB AUTOSPORT 63 VSCC driver killed in Mallory Park crash 64 Junior star Slater to F4 with Double R 66 Mustang race for Members’ Meeting 68 TCR UK reveals first Thruxton visit 69 Opinion: Stephen Lickorish 70 National reports: Donington Park;
Brands Hatch; Kirkistown; Castle Combe; Mallory Park; Snetterton; Loton Park
FINISHING STRAIGHT 78 What’s on this week 80 From the archive: 1963 Monaco GP 82 My favourite team-mate: Mauro Martini
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31 AUGUST 2023 AUTOSPORT.COM 3
