Max Verstappen foreshadowed devastating Dutch Grand Prix crash with pre-race comment

Max Verstappen's comment prior to the Dutch Grand Prix has emerged after he crashed it on the second lap of his final home race.

Verstappen qualified in P7 for the final race at Zandvoort, which is being removed from the Formula One calendar after a lack of funding.

The four-time world champion was hoping to sign off in style and had a special helmet and suit for the last race.

But while Verstappen was hoping to celebrate his new Red Bull contract extension with a triumph, disaster struck just two laps in.

The heavy downpour of rain following Saturday's Sprint and the qualifying stint meant the track was not in the best condition and a formation lap with a safety car was required.

Then, on the second lap, Verstappen spun out of control - locking up on the corner after hitting a wet spot and crashing into the barrier.

Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi had issues on the same corner but managed to stay in the race.

Max Verstappen expressed concern ahead of Dutch Grand Prix crash

A red flag was waved after the crash, which left Verstappen's car in a mess. Fortunately, he was able to exit the car without assistance and, crucially, without serious injuries.

Despite the shock it caused viewers around the world. Verstappen was well aware of an area of the track that could prove problematic.

According to Erik van Haren from Telegraaf, when on the way to the grid, Verstappen had remarked that it was "quite wet" in the final corner.

On the team radio, Verstappen was heard saying, "Yeah that's it. Ah ****, I'm sorry" as he communicated with his team.

Liam Lawson, who was back as Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull after Isaak Hadjar was ruled out with a wrist injury, expressed concern for the 28-year-old.

The New Zealander said, "Is he okay? That was ******* huge".

According to RacingNews365, Verstappen was taken to the medical centre immediately but was fine and headed to Red Bull's motorhome.

Remarkably, Verstappen's nightmare continued a quite frightening trend on the track. It means for the past three races, where he qualified in P7, he has suffered a DNF.

What's more, the trio of races can be considered home races as they took place in Austria, Silverstone and Zandvoort.

In recent times, Verstappen had been the subject of intense speculation regarding his future and was heavily linked with moves to Mercedes and McLaren.

He had even spoken about leaving F1 together after becoming disillusioned with the new regulations.

However, on Thursday Verstappen put pen to paper on a new contract until the end of 2030.

"We have the best people and I'm excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again," Verstappen said after the announcement.

"This remains the ultimate goal that all of us have been working towards and will continue to pursue.

"I have always said it: the team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home.

"I came to the team hoping to be able to win races. What we went on to achieve together has been simply lovely and we have shared many incredible moments and won four World Championships.

"To continue this journey with the same team that I have been with my whole career is really special and something I have always wanted to do."