The possibility of the Dutch Grand Prix surviving exists, with the Assen TT circuit having expressed its ambition to host Formula 1.
The Dutch Grand Prix is set to be removed from the calendar at the end of 2026, the final year of Zandvoort’s contract. Zandvoort obtained a one-year extension but will then leave F1, his own decision since the circuit alone assumes all the financial results, without a safety net from the communities.
A possible withdrawal from Max Verstappen’s F1 makes Zandvoort fear partially empty stands and therefore a deficit that the circuit could not fill.
Meanwhile Spa-Franchorchamps has signed a new long-term agreement with F1 but as part of an alternation with another circuit (to be defined). The Belgian Grand Prix will be on the calendar until 2031, except in 2028 and 2030.
Assen president Arjan Bos dreams of seeing his circuit host F1 in the future.
"It’s Formula 1, of course," said Bos, when asked what his biggest dream was.
“I think when you have invested so much money into the circuit, always with the support and sympathy of the community, that if it is possible and there is support – and we feel it – and we can organize it, then we will certainly think about it in principle, we are positive about it.
-“This means that we set objectives ourselves and that we will examine it calmly. But to say in advance: ‘It stops at Zandvoort, so we will do it at Assen’, that is too far from reality.”
“I have to be very careful about this. I don’t even know if Formula 1 is keen on this. I would really like to hear Zandvoort’s arguments on why they are stopping now. Also, I don’t know if Formula 1 wants to continue in the Netherlands.”
“In fact, they want to organize fewer Grands Prix in Europe. They want to organize another Grand Prix in Africa anyway and maybe also come back to India: it is the largest country currently in terms of population.”
“In other words: Europe must shrink and it is then not obvious that the Netherlands will continue to organize a Grand Prix.”
