Max Verstappen stops out on track in first practice at Dutch GP due to transmission problem

Verstappen stopped out on track just 10 minutes into FP1 of his home race complaining of a gearbox problem

(Getty Images)

Max Verstappen’s home Grand Prix weekend got off to a dreadful start as he was forced to stop out on track 10 minutes into first practice at Zandvoort.

The Championship leader, who has won the last three races including a domineering victory last week in Belgium, complained of a gearbox issue with smoke emerging from the back of his RB18.

Verstappen departed the car and walked back to the pit lane amid a stunned silence in the grandstands, with the session red-flagged as it emerged there was a transmission issue.

The Dutchman was top of the leaderboard when the session was stopped, before his time on the hard compound was soundly beaten as the field switched to soft tyres.

“We lost drive as he took a shift from fourth to fifth,” Christian Horner said.

Championship leader Verstappen complained of a gearbox issue (Getty Images)

“We take the car back and need to fully understand that before the next session.”

Mercedes led the way at the top with George Russell first on the timesheet and Lewis Hamilton two-tenths of a second behind him in second; Carlos Sainz was third-fastest.

“I would expect them [Mercedes], like Budapest tight and twisty, short corners - it does play to some of their strengths,” Horner added about his rivals.

“Irrelevant of the TD (technical directive), this should play to their strengths.”

Red Bull’s reigning champion Verstappen is 93 points clear of closest challenger, team mate Sergio Perez, after 14 of 22 races.