Verstappen takes pole position at Dutch GP

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — Dutch driver Max Verstappen took a brilliant pole position for the Netherlands Grand Prix and sent his Orange Army of fans into raptures on Saturday.

A DJ pumped out loud dance music as they savoUred Verstappen’s performance and lapped up the seaside sunshine. They had come to see him in top form and he delivered.

The Red Bull driver’s final lap was good enough to beat Mercedes superstar Lewis Hamilton by 0.04 seconds and his teammate Valtteri Bottas by 0.034.

Verstappen’s orange-clad fans stood and roared when he went past the main grandstand area and sealed his season-leading seventh pole — four more than Formula One record holder Hamilton.

“Unbelievable, we were just flying today,” Verstappen said. “It’s an amazing feeling to get pole position here. The crowd is incredible.”

Verstappen led Bottas by 0.3 seconds and Hamilton by 0.35 after their first runs. They all improved in their second stints and Verstappen did enough for his 10th career pole and sixth in the past seven races.

Hamilton missed out on a record-extending 102nd career pole but leads Verstappen by three points in the standings as he aims for a record-extending 100th F1 win on Sunday.

“It’s a difficult circuit to overtake,” Hamilton said. “Strategy will come into it.”

Hamilton was thrilled by the speedy 4.3-kilometre Zandvoort with its high-banking corners.

“What a place for us to be racing,” Hamilton said. “It’s a great track, I like the old school circuits better.”

Although the narrow design of the circuit makes it difficult to overtake, several high-speed corners give Hamilton chances to pass Verstappen if he can get close enough.