Max Verstappen handed 'nothing to lose' boost ahead of Dutch GP

Max Verstappen effectively has 'nothing to lose' heading into the Dutch Grand Prix now the F1 world title is almost certainly out of reach, one former driver believes.

Verstappen finds himself 97 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri heading into the final 10 races of the season, but his Red Bull RB21 is at a significant pace disadvantage to McLaren's MCL39. 

Given the huge scale of changes coming for 2026, Red Bull is extremely unlikely to divert any more resources onto the '25 machine, meaning Verstappen's bid to match Michael Schumacher by winning five titles on the trot is likely to fail, with Piastri or Lando Norris carrying the #1 next season.

However, Verstappen has an almost faultless record at his home Dutch GP at Zandvoort, with three wins from four events since it returned in 2021. He has only been beaten by Norris in 2024, and still finished second. 

Analysing the situation the world champion finds himself in, Jolyon Palmer believes Verstappen effectively has a free hit heading into the weekend.

"It's going to be a boost, it just has to be a boost," Palmer explained on the F1 Nation podcast of the support from the partisan Dutch crowd.

"The Zandvoort crowd is one of the best of the season, he'll turn up with a spring in his step, and if he thinks the championship is lost, which is most surely is, he can turn up and think: 'Oh what is there to play for?'

"But actually, Max turning up in Zandvoort, he'll know what is to play for because the crowd will be raucous and if he puts it on pole and wins the race.

"But he is up against it, but I do think it is the perfect way for Max to come back after the summer break and a tough race in Hungary to think: 'Yeah, I can still execute a great race', and the crowd will hopefully lift him and spur him to keep pushing."