WATCH: Max Verstappen faces black-white flag warning for pit lane infringement

Max Verstappen's homecoming at the Dutch Grand Prix took a surprising turn during the final practice session at Zandvoort. The reigning world champion, who has been dominating the Formula 1 season, found himself in hot water after being shown a black-and-white flag for a pit lane incident.

The warning came after Verstappen, eager to get back on track, overtook both a McLaren and a Mercedes in the pit lane, crossing the white line in his haste. This action, which violated the race director’s instructions, earned him the black-and-white flag. Notably, it is a signal used to caution drivers about unsportsmanlike behaviour.

Here is the video:

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The session itself was chaotic from the start, with the first major incident occurring just 14 minutes in. Logan Sargeant, driving for Williams, lost control of his car after dipping a wheel onto the wet grass at Turn 3. The American's car spun into the barriers, resulting in significant damage and a fire.

Fortunately, Sargeant emerged unscathed, quickly reporting over the radio, "I'm okay," before being taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks. Despite the quick response from marshals to extinguish the flames, the damage to Sargeant's car was severe, casting doubt on whether the Williams team could repair it in time for the upcoming qualifying session.

Pierre Gasly dominates the FP3

The red flags were immediately brought out, halting the session as the track was cleared and repairs were made to the barriers. This left the devoted "Orange Army" of Dutch fans, who had braved the damp conditions, waiting eagerly for their hero Verstappen to hit the track.

When the session finally resumed with just one minute left, drivers scrambled to get a timed lap in through the spray, with many opting for intermediate tyres. It was during this frantic moment that Verstappen’s eagerness led to his pit lane infringement. Despite the black-and-white flag, Verstappen’s focus will undoubtedly remain on delivering a strong performance in front of his home crowd.

While Verstappen's warning was the highlight of the session, the fastest lap was set by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who managed to top the timesheets in what was ultimately a "meaningless" session given the limited track time. Gasly was followed by Haas's Kevin Magnussen and Sauber's Valtteri Bottas.