The Dutch Grand Prix will have two more editions but will then give up a possible alternation to disappear from the calendar, a sign of the end of career for Max Verstappen?
The Formula 1 World Championship calendar is increasingly in demand and European rounds will no longer exceed a third of the schedule in the future.
In this tense context, supply and demand are putting pressure on the organizers and the holder of the commercial rights has put forward the idea of setting up certain European Grands Prix alternately, that of the Netherlands being one of the events targeted by a potential rotation.
No to alternation
The Zandvoort promoter preferred to abandon this proposal by negotiating a one-year extension of his contract, until 2026, and then pulled the plug.
“Many contracts with circuits expire in 2025 and the FOM will have to determine how many races it still wants to organize in Europe, a declaration of the director of the Zandvoort circuit, Robert van Overdijk. For the moment, the risks are too great and we have agreed on a race after 2025 with a Sprint. It is clear that the situation is precarious for a developer without government support.”
The bar is very high
“I am extremely grateful for the work the Dutch Grand Prix team has done over the past few years, commented the F1 CEO. They have set the bar for European Grands Prix in terms of spectacle and entertainment, supported the development of young talent by hosting F2, F3 and our F1 Academy series, and have also pioneered sustainable solutions that have inspired our events around the world as we strive to achieve Net Zero by 2030.”
“All parties have worked together positively to find a solution to extend the race, with many options including alternate or annual events on the table, and we respect the promoter’s decision to complete its incredible run in 2026, he added. I would like to thank the entire Dutch Grand Prix team and the municipality of Zandvoort who have been fantastic partners of Formula 1.”
Verstappen’s future in the equation
“While today’s announcement marks the end of a monumental era, we are confident that fans still have much to look forward to from the Dutch Grand Prix over the next two years, including the Sprint in 2026, concludes the Dutch organizer. We are a private company and we must balance the opportunities presented by continuing to host the event, against other risks and responsibilities. We decided to finish in style with two last crazy Dutch Grands Prix.”
This absence of the Dutch round from the calendar from 2027 could correspond to the end of the career of Max Verstappen who, even if he has a contract until 2028, has several times expressed the idea of putting an early end to his course in Formula 1. The popular success of the Grand Prix at Zandvoort would not have survived and the promoters therefore anticipated this future situation. Should we see a sign there? The future will tell us…
