Why Is the Dutch Grand Prix Leaving Formula 1 After 2026?
The simplest answer is financial risk and the promoter’s decision about the long-term viability of the event.
Zandvoort is unusual among major Dutch Grands Prix because its event operation is privately owned rather than relying on the same level of public underwriting seen at some other races. Dutch GP director Robert van Overdijk said the business had to weigh the opportunity to continue against its risks and responsibilities. That makes this different from a circuit simply losing its place because Formula 1 has chosen another venue.
We have decided to go out on a high with two more incredible Dutch Grands Prix in 2025 and 2026.” — Robert van Overdijk.
For more on the final race weekend, see our guide to the Dutch Grand Prix UK times
Was Zandvoort dropped by Formula 1?
No. That is the crucial point. Formula 1 said it worked positively with the promoter on possible extensions. Stefano Domenicali confirmed that options included both an annual race and an alternating arrangement, but F1 ultimately respected the promoter’s decision to finish after 2026.
That makes headlines saying Formula 1 simply “axed” Zandvoort misleading. The series was prepared to discuss a route forward. The promoter decided not to take one.
Why were sell-out crowds not enough?
Popularity and profitability are not the same thing. Zandvoort produced huge crowds after returning to Formula 1 in 2021, boosted heavily by the rise of Max Verstappen. Yet UK reporting at the time of the decision noted that organisers were finding the financial model increasingly difficult despite those sell-outs.
A promoter has costs linked to sanctioning fees, temporary infrastructure, staffing, security, transport and running a major international event. Strong ticket demand can reduce that risk, but it does not remove it. For Zandvoort’s organisers, continuing indefinitely was therefore not automatically the best business decision.
The key distinction: the Dutch GP is leaving while demand for the event still exists, rather than waiting for its popularity to disappear.
Why Zandvoort’s return mattered
The Dutch Grand Prix had disappeared from the F1 calendar after 1985. Plans for its comeback originally targeted 2020, but the pandemic delayed the return until 2021, ending a 36-year absence. The modernised circuit retained its narrow, flowing character and heavily banked corners, helping it stand apart from many newer venues.
The 2026 edition will be the 40th and final Formula 1 event held at Zandvoort under the current run. That gives this weekend more weight than a normal mid-season Grand Prix: it closes both the Verstappen-era revival and a much longer chapter dating back to Zandvoort’s first World Championship Grand Prix in 1952.
Dutch Grand Prix 2026 odds: four race-winner angles
The farewell narrative will naturally push attention towards Max Verstappen, but emotion is not the same as betting value. Kimi Antonelli arrives from the summer break with a 50-point championship lead after six wins from the opening 11 Grands Prix, which helps explain why the Mercedes driver is the shortest price in the current race-winner market.
| Driver | Odds | Betting Read |
| Kimi Antonelli | 2.75 | Six wins in 11 races and the market benchmark |
| Lando Norris | 5.00 | Won the Hungarian GP immediately before the summer break |
| Lewis Hamilton | 5.00 | Antonelli’s closest championship challenger entering Zandvoort |
| Max Verstappen | 9.00 | Bigger price for the home driver in Zandvoort’s farewell race |
BetMaze odds checked on 21 August 2026 and subject to change, particularly after practice, Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint.
The price versus the story
Antonelli at 2.75 is easy to understand: six victories and a 50-point championship cushion make him the obvious market reference. Verstappen at 9.00 is the opposite proposition. The home-farewell story is powerful, but backing him purely because this is the last Dutch Grand Prix would be betting on the occasion rather than the car’s current competitiveness. Price first, farewell narrative second.
When is the last Dutch Grand Prix?
Is the Dutch Grand Prix gone forever?
There is no new Zandvoort contract beyond 2026, so the race leaves the calendar after this weekend. That does not mean an F1 return can be ruled out forever. Zandvoort itself spent 36 years away before returning in 2021. A comeback would require a completely new agreement, however, and none has been announced.
What replaces the Dutch Grand Prix in 2027?
There is no official announcement describing one particular race as a direct one-for-one replacement for Zandvoort. What is confirmed is that Portugal and Türkiye are returning to Formula 1 in 2027, while Domenicali has said the championship continues to work towards a 24-race calendar.
That wider competition for calendar space also helps explain why alternating European races had become a realistic option for Zandvoort before its promoter decided to stop completely.
