Hamilton left trailing in "just too quick" Verstappen's wake

Lewis Hamilton conceded Red Bull was simply "too quick" for Mercedes as Max Verstappen clinched a home grand prix win to savour in front of his adoring Dutch fans.

Hamilton started second on the grid behind Verstappen but never once managed to get within touching distance, while Red Bull also perfectly judged the strategy battle.

The seven-time champion was jeered by sections of the crowd on Saturday, but on Sunday received an ovation befitting his status in the sport.

"What a race, what a crowd," said Hamilton. "Honestly, it's been an amazing weekend. Max did a great job and congratulations to him.

"I gave it absolutely everything today, flat-out pushed as hard as I could but they were just too quick for us."

After triggering the second stops for both Verstappen and himself, Hamilton found himself stuck in traffic, a difficulty he suffered with more than his rival.

"I'm going to call him Noah from now on," he joked. "Just every time he got traffic, they just moved out of the way.

"It was very hard to navigate through all of the traffic and it's very hard to follow here."

Mercedes stopped both its drivers in the closing stages but after Valtteri Bottas set the fastest lap, Hamilton was able to better the Finn's effort and take back the point on the final tour.

"The last lap was one of the best parts of the race for me because this track is just incredible on a single lap, low fuel," Hamilton explained.

"This is now one of my favourite tracks so I'm looking forward to coming back next year."

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