Why the Dutch GP is ending despite F1 wanting Zandvoort to stay

After Formula 1 said goodbye to Zandvoort at the end of 1985, it seemed like a thing of the past. The circuit fell into disrepair, Zandvoort gradually disappeared from the radar and the pinnacle of motorsport appeared to have outgrown the small coastal town. Das war einmal, as the Germans would say.

All that remained were the nostalgic memories of watching – and back then even listening to! – F1 cars in the dunes.

For a long time, Zandvoort was synonymous with faded glory, but on 14 May 2019 the impossible suddenly proved possible after all: Zandvoort – or ‘Sandervoort’, as Chase Carey repeatedly called it during our interview at the time – made a surprise return to the F1 calendar.

Another visit to the circuit followed in 2020, this time for the official opening of the revamped circuit, featuring its two banked corners, by Max Verstappen, Jos Verstappen and Arie Luyendyk, after whom the final corner is named. Later that year, the moment suprême should have followed – the return of the Dutch GP – but, as we all know, the coronavirus pandemic put paid to that.

Just over a year later, the moment finally arrived, immediately producing the most memorable edition so far. One of the first major sporting events in the country – albeit still with COVID restrictions – the F1 circus back in the dunes, and all of it during one of the most iconic title fights in F1 history: everything came together.

Zandvoort has not always excelled with its on-track support programme – F2 and F3 were absent for several years, including this season – but in many other areas it has raised the bar. That applies, for example, to sustainability, its mobility plan and the entertainment programme.

Even by the mid-1980s, it was feared F1 would never return to Zandvoort again

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Circuit Zandvoort CEO Robert van Overdijk revealed that Formula One Management has often used the Dutch GP as an example during the regular meetings with all promoters. And in fact, the aforementioned factors have gone hand in hand.

When the return of the grand prix was announced, many feared a traffic nightmare because Zandvoort has only two access roads. But that has been dealt with smartly by having fans predominantly arrive by bicycle or train, while the entertainment programme also plays its part.

If everyone were to leave at the same time immediately after the chequered flag, it would inevitably cause problems, but by organising various concerts, fans leave the circuit in stages. In that way, Zandvoort has managed to turn a weakness into what has become one of the event’s unique selling points.

"It's like I've been in a nightclub non-stop for four days" Christian Horner on the Dutch GP's return in 2021

All of that is combined with an old-school track. So yes, there is entertainment – perhaps too much for some people’s liking – but unlike some other races on the calendar, it is still an old-school track that drivers love – especially when pushing the limits on a qualifying lap.

The tone was set immediately during the inaugural 2021 edition. The organisers went all out during the grid procedure, even to the extent that Super Max was blasted over the speakers for what felt like the 50th time that day after the national anthem had been played, just as all the drivers – including Verstappen himself – were trying to get into the zone ahead of the start. The pressure on Verstappen’s shoulders was immense, not least because the entire crowd had turned up for just one man and overtaking with the 2021 cars was extremely difficult. Everything would come down to the start, but the Red Bull driver withstood the pressure and completed the party in the dunes by giving the organisers their dream winner.

When Christian Horner left the circuit on Sunday evening, he summed up the Dutch GP best: “It’s like I’ve been in a nightclub non-stop for four days.” And that is exactly what Zandvoort has been in recent years: not just a race, but a festival – a racing festival, whether you like that as a purist or not.

Zandvoort's return in 2021 got off to the perfect start as home hero Verstappen won

Photo by: Erik Junius

Why have the organisers decided not to continue beyond 2026?

Given that success, Formula One Management was quite keen to continue with Zandvoort, which naturally raises the question of why the plug is nevertheless being pulled on the event after this year.

The answer is mainly financial. Zandvoort is one of the few races on the F1 calendar without government support and therefore has to stand on its own two feet. It can do so thanks to several major sponsors – what the organisers call the ‘founding partners’ – and by selling out every day of the event. That model has worked well in recent years, but the organisers want to stay ahead of the point at which interest starts to decline.

One of the fears from an organisational perspective was naturally that Verstappen would retire, although his contract extension through 2030 has taken the sting out of that concern. Even so, there remains a risk of saturation, either because people feel they have seen the event enough times or because interest in the Netherlands declines because of, say, the current regulations. To avoid financial risks, the organisers want to get ahead of that moment themselves.

Moreover, Van Overdijk has explained several times why a rotation system would be difficult for the Dutch GP. Keeping the entire organisation intact during the intervening year without a race is expensive, but dismantling the whole operation only to rebuild it again for a race year is equally complex. It means that a rotation system is not the preferred scenario from an organisational point of view.

Will F1 ever return to the Netherlands?

The final question, of course, is whether the F1 book will close for good in the Netherlands after 2026 or whether there might still be an opening for another edition in the future.

Zandvoort has already indicated that it is willing to remain on standby in case a race elsewhere on the calendar drops out in the coming years, for example because of unrest in the Middle East. After all, that is how Imola has also come back into the frame for a potential race at the end of this year.

Zandvoort could act as a standby venue for F1 if a late replacement is required

Photo by: Gabriele Lanzo / Alessio Morgese / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Van Overdijk immediately added, however, that Zandvoort might not be the most logical option in that respect. Setting up for a grand prix takes six weeks, whereas other circuits have more permanent facilities – such as grandstands – than Zandvoort. So there are complications, although organising a race in that way would be considerably more attractive financially. The terms, including the hosting fee, would be completely different in that scenario, potentially making the numbers work. Zandvoort would not be the most likely option in that case, and there are circuits in Europe that can react more quickly, but the scenario cannot be ruled out entirely.

Finally, there are still the ambitions of the other circuit in the Netherlands: the TT Circuit Assen. That, however, also appears to be a very long shot and, as things stand, highly unlikely. Promoter LDP International still refuses to give up on bringing F1 to the circuit one day, although the TT Circuit, through its director Mark van Aalderen, recently said it would not undertake the modifications required for an FIA Grade One licence.

The circuit that welcomes MotoGP every year contacted Formula One Management itself and was told that the chances for the coming years are virtually non-existent. It subsequently decided not to undertake the modifications required for F1, although the publication of that news came as an unpleasant surprise to the promoter.

A return of the German Grand Prix is certainly among the possibilities, whereas another edition of the Dutch Grand Prix is a long shot

“How does that make any sense? In any case, we don’t want to give up too easily and we’re always open to it if an opportunity arises,” Lee van Dam of promoter LDP International told Autosport, while also seeing potential in a possible rotation with Hockenheim. The reality, however, is that a return of the German Grand Prix is certainly among the possibilities, whereas another edition of the Dutch Grand Prix is a long shot.

That does nothing to diminish Zandvoort’s legacy: an old-school circuit that, according to Formula One Management, has raised the bar in several areas and hosted memorable editions to look back on.

And so, there is just one final round of what Horner described so aptly: F1 action in a nightclub.

One last dance: F1's nightclub atmosphere will descend on Zandvoort for a final time this weekend

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images