Max Verstappen: Fan favorite but — for once — not race favorite for home GP

Zandvoort, Netherlands –

It is simply impossible to avoid Max Verstappen at Zandvoort aan Zee, the seaside resort that hosts the Dutch Grand Prix.

Fans board the “Max Express,” a special train rebranded for the Grand Prix. Leaving the station, the first thing they see is a huge trailer crammed with Verstappen merchandise.

“Dive into the sea of orange” reads a billboard at the entrance to the circuit, a reference to the hundreds of thousands of oranje-clad fans cheering on Verstappen, arguably the best globally known Dutch sports star since Johan Cruyff.