Verstappen victory earns royal seal of approval

Max Verstappen's performance at the Dutch Grand Prix earned a royal seal of approval when King Willem-Alexander was among the various guests at the race.

Despite the tricky conditions at the start and end of the race at Zandvoort, Verstappen held on to take a historic third victory at his home race and equal a record previously set by Sebastian Vettel in 2013 with his ninth in a row.

When speaking to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the King showed his appreciation for Verstappen on his way to a third title: "What an ambassador for our country Max is."

It comes after Verstappen was appointed Order of Oranje-Nassau by the Dutch Minister of Sport following his second title last season.

There were over 100,000 fans that attended each day of the weekend at the seaside venue, with at least 45,000 travelling by bicycle.

The pre-race pomp created a feverish atmosphere, with famous conductor André Rieu conducting the Johann Strauss Orchestra headlining the ceremonies.

"It is great what the other people who have made this possible have put down," said the King, praising the race's organisation.

"Such a great feast with all the music and other spectacle in addition to racing. And then almost everyone also comes by bike or public transport. The Netherlands is an example for the rest of the world."