Namibia: Max Verstappen: fan favourite but – for once – not race favourite – Sport

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…