Max Verstappen suffered a spectacular exit from the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend after crashing at high speed in the final corner.
The Dutch he was unharmed after his exitbut it was a disappointing final race at home for the four-time world champion, who has won there on three previous occasions, and the Orange Army in Zandvoort.
Verstappen However, he is certainly not the first driver to suffer headaches at home, and F1.com has looked at 10 other cases where everything went wrong at home…
Oscar Piastri – Australian Grand Prix 2026
After missing the Drivers’ Championship for McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the final round of the previous year, Oscar Piastri He intended to start his 2026 campaign with a win.
The first game of the season in Australia was also Piastri’s home event, providing further motivation if needed, but new regulations for 2026 saw the reigning team champions get off on the wrong foot.
Piastri had only been able to qualify in fifth place, albeit ahead of reigning champion Norris, but any hope of giving the home crowd something to cheer about was dashed as he was unable to even start.
On his reconnaissance lap to the grid, Piastri ran over the exit curb at Turn 4, lost control and crashed into the wall, destroying his car as Australian fans looked on in disbelief.
Things got even worse for Piastri in the following race in China, where car problems prevented both he and Norris from starting. It was necessary to wait until the third round in Japan for the Australian to compete in a Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc – Monaco Grand Prix 2021
Despite having grown up with the Monaco Grand Prix literally around the corner, Carlos LeclercLuck in Monte Carlo always seemed to find a way to abandon him.
The Monegasque driver certainly does not lack speed through the streets of the Principality, having achieved pole position on three occasions, the first in 2021, which probably caused him his greatest anguish.
Having set the fastest time in qualifying after the first set of fastest laps, Leclerc crashed into the barrier at the exit of the Pool section on his second effort, bringing out the red flag and inadvertently ensuring he kept pole position.
But ferrariThe task of rebuilding the car damaged overnight proved too much, and a gearbox problem prevented Leclerc from making the start, leaving him a distraught spectator.
More headaches followed in 2022, as after starting from pole again, a sub-optimal strategy from Ferrari in mixed conditions meant it finished a dismal fourth. Leclerc was finally able to get his first home win in 2024.
Sebastian Vettel – German Grand Prix 2018
Looking ahead to the 2018 German Grand Prix and the halfway point of the season, Sebastian Vettel was eight points away mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton as the pair fought for that year’s title.
A hydraulic problem in qualifying left Hamilton alone in 14th on the grid, while Vettel started on pole and stayed away for much of the race, with another victory likely in front of his home fans.
But rain began to fall in the closing stages and as he entered the stadium section, Vettel veered off the road and crashed into the barrier, ending the Ferrari driver’s race in a radio rage outburst as he slammed his steering wheel.
The incident derailed Vettel’s title aspirations, as Hamilton took an unlikely victory along with a championship lead he would never relinquish and ultimately clinched his fifth title two races before the end of the season.
Daniel Ricciardo – Australian Grand Prix 2014
Having divided the Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg In a wet qualifying, the Australian public had high hopes that Daniel Ricciardo could fight for victory in his first race for red bull.
With Hamilton’s retirement due to an engine problem, Rosberg had to take a commanding victory, while Ricciardo was able to finish second and become the first Australian driver to achieve a podium finish at his home Grand Prix.
However, joy turned to disappointment after the race, as he was disqualified after his car exceeded the fuel mass flow limit of 100 kg/h on the first lap of the race.
However, outright success would come later in the season, as Ricciardo recorded three wins during a campaign that saw the dominant Mercedes cars claim all the other victories.
Felipe Massa – Brazilian Grand Prix 2008
The end of the 2008 season in Brazil was almost a fairy tale ending for Felipe Massa in his quest for his first drivers’ title, but the Ferrari driver fell agonizingly short in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Massa started the weekend seven points behind Lewis Hamilton in the title battle, making the Brazilian Grand Prix a must-win event for the local hero.
Having taken pole position, Massa was in command throughout and took victory, even after late rain caused a stoppage for wet tyres, while some drivers opted to continue on dry Bridgestones.
One of them was the Toyota of Timo Glock, who, after jumping ahead of Hamilton when the Briton pitted due to rain, could not prevent the McLaren driver from overtaking in the final corner for the last time to take fifth position and his first title by one point.
Massa, who had been told by engineer Rob Smedley to wait for the final result over the radio, was visibly emotional on the podium afterwards.
Rubens Barrichello – Brazilian Grand Prix 2003
In a total of 19 attempts at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello failed to finish his home race on 11 occasions, but it was his withdrawal from the 2003 edition that probably hurt ‘Rubinho’ the most.
The Ferrari driver had taken pole position in Sao Paulo for the first time, but Sunday’s wet weather threatened to derail his hopes and those of local fans of a Brazilian victor.
Despite losing the lead to David Coulthard once the race resumed after the Safety Car exit, Barrichello remained among the leading contenders and retook the lead on lap 45.
But just one lap later, Barrichello’s car stalled and ran out of fuel after a computer error left the team unaware of his dangerous situation.
Even more galling, the race was red-flagged just eight laps later after a heavy crash during fernando alonso until the final corner, which meant Jordan’s Giancarlo Fisichella became the unlikely winner.
While Barrichello would achieve two more pole positions in front of his home fans (2004 for Ferrari and 2009 for Brawn GP), the best result he would achieve in front of his home fans would be third place.
Damon Hill – 1993 British Grand Prix
While Alain Prost would win his fourth and final title before retiring after an illustrious career at the end of the 1993 season, teammate Damon Hill he was just beginning to write his.
Having been promoted from williamsAs a test driver in a full-time racing seat, Hill performed well in the first half of the season, taking five podiums in eight races.
At the British Grand Prix, the local hero was ready to make the final jump to the top step and put himself in a great position by jumping pole winner Prost off the finish line.
While the Frenchman fought against his old adversary Ayrton SenaHill built a commanding lead at the front and looked to be heading towards his first F1 victory.
But a failed engine with just 18 laps to go meant a headache for Hill and his home fans, and a puncture at the following round in Germany denied him victory once again.
Final success came in Hungary, as Hill banished the demons of his 1993 disappointment by winning the 1994 British Grand Prix, before the title finally arrived in 1996.
Riccardo Patrese – 1992 Italian Grand Prix
Nigel Mansell He dominated the 1992 season with nine wins en route to the drivers’ title behind the wheel of the Williams FW14B.
But while the Briton was able to adapt to the car’s state-of-the-art electronics, including the active suspension system, his teammate Ricardo Patrese struggled to adapt to the technology.
Heading to Monza for the thirteenth race of the season at the Italian Grand Prix, Patrese had failed to register a victory, but with the title already secured, Mansell allowed his teammate to take the lead.
When Mansell retired with an electrical problem, Patrese looked set for victory, but a hydraulic problem with six laps to go forced him to slow down and he eventually took the checkered flag in P5, much to the disappointment of the Italian fans.
There was a respite two races later, however, when Patrese climbed to the top step for the final time in his illustrious F1 career with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Nelson Piquet – 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix
After winning the first of his three titles at the end of the previous season, Nelson Piquet He hoped to achieve more success in front of his home fans, but the Brabham driver could only start seventh at the Rio de Janeiro circuit in 1982.
However, the extreme heat soon began to take its toll and, as his rivals began to retire, Piquet eventually found himself taking the checkered flag first much to the delight of his fans.
But the heat also affected Piquet, who collapsed on the podium, and things only got worse when the reigning champion was disqualified from the race.
His Brabham was found to be underweight due to water-cooled brakes that needed to be replaced after the race, so the controversial concept was soon banned.
Piquet would finally find success in front of his home fans in 1983 and 1986.
James Hunt – 1976 British Grand Prix
James Cazar and niki laudaThe titanic battle for the 1976 title is well known among motorsport fans, with several high points throughout the season, including the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch.
Lauda’s Ferrari maintained the lead from pole into Turn 1, but contact with teammate Clay Regazzoni caused the latter to spin, where he was collected by Hunt’s McLaren as the red flags appeared.
Hunt was unable to complete a full lap back to the pits due to the damage, before his car eventually returned to the garage for repairs.
At the restart and with a repaired McLaren, Hunt followed Lauda before overtaking his rival just after half distance to claim victory in front of his home fans.
But two months later, and in another twist to the narrative of that year’s title, Hunt was disqualified from the result following a protest from Ferrari.
The Scuderia had successfully argued that Hunt had not completed the full lap back to the pits when the red flag was shown, meaning the future 1976 champion should not have been allowed to restart.