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2026 Dutch GP Preview – After reigning world champion Lando Norris took victory before the sport’s traditional summer break at the Hungarian GP, round 12 of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the famous Circuit Zandvoort in Zandvoort, North Holland, Netherlands this weekend following the sport’s traditional summer break for the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2026. This is the 38^th Dutch GP and will be the 36^th time that Circuit Zandvoort will host the Dutch Grand Prix. This will be the final Dutch Grand Prix as it drops off the Formula 1 calendar. This weekend also features the Sprint format and the penultimate of the year. The final Sprint race of the campaign is at the Singapore Grand Prix.

 

 

2026 Dutch GP Preview – A look at the Circuit Zandvoort

 

 

Circuit Zandvoort is a permanent motor racing facility located in the dunes north of Zandvoort, Netherlands near the North Sea coastline. There were minor races on a street circuit in the town in the 1930’s, but the German invasion of the Netherlands proved to be a whisker of luck for the locals. In a bid to stop his townspeople from being sent to Germany to work, legend says the Mayor of Zandvoort influenced the Germans to allow them to create a straight road through the dunes down, which the Germans could hold celebratory parades once they achieved victory. This was also later linked to other roads, which were used to get to coastal defence positions.

 

After the war, some of these roads were widened and joined together and a racing circuit was made, not as legend says by John Hugenholtz, but by a group of officials from the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Association, with input from Bentley Boy Sammy Davis, who won the 1927 24 Heures Du Mans. The first event was in 1948, named the Zandvoort Grand Prix. The race by Thailand’s Prince Bira in a Maserati. The next two events were won by Louis Rosier in the year’s 1950 and 1951. 1952 was the year the Dutch Grand Prix became part of the third Formula 1 World Championship season; this and the next year’s Grands Prix were won by Ferrari’s Alberto Ascari. The 1954 event was not held due to a lack of money, and 1955 saw once more Mercedes-Benz ‘s dominance, with legend’s Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss flying; Moss followed Fangio closely all the way to the finish. The 1956 and 1957 Grands Prix were also cancelled due to a lack of money, which indirectly was caused by the Suez Crisis of 1956–1957. The 1958 Dutch Grand Prix was won by Vanwall’s Moss. 1959’s event saw Jo Bonnier win his only Grand Prix and in 1960 saw Dan Gurney suffer an accident and a spectator was killed; the race was won by the legendary Jack Brabham in his Cooper.

 

The Dutch Grands Prix from 1963 to 1965 saw Jim Clark score a hattrick of victories, and 1967 saw the rise of the famous Lotus 49 featuring its brand-new Ford-Cosworth DFV engine. The DFV won on its debut with Clark behind the wheel; this naturally aspirated V8 engine became the most successful and widely used engine amongst the privateer outfits until the 1985 season. The 1970 Championship season, however, saw the 49’s successor, the 72 (with its design just as advanced as the 49 was three years earlier) dominate comprehensively with Jochen Rindt piloting.

 

Tragedy hit, when Piers Courage, behind the wheel of a Frank Williams entry, crashed heavily near the high-speed Tunnel Oost corner after a wheel came off and hit the Briton on the head, which killed him. The car, with Courage still inside it, then caught fire and burned to the ground. The 1971 Grand Prix saw Jacky Ickx clinch the victory in a Ferrari after an intense fight with Mexican Pedro Rodriguez in a BRM in torrential wet conditions. There was no event in 1972. It was at first on that season’s calendar, but the drivers rejected racing at Zandvoort, due to the facilities and circuit conditions being out-of-date with Grand Prix racing during that period.

 

Zandvoort was extensively modified during its absence from the Formula One World Championship calendar. It was lined with Armco barriers and cars were protected from the track-side obstacles and sand dunes. A new pit was built, and the track also saw a chicane placed just before Bosuit, the quick high-speed corner that went onto the pit-straight. For the 1973 event, in a celebration of the efforts made, there was a great atmosphere that weekend and everyone was ecstatic, especially the organisers. But in a cruel twist, that Grand Prix was to be yet another bad hit on Zandvoort’s history and reputation. In an event that was said to be one of the most well-organised Grands Prix, it was actually disorganised, and a lack of clear communication would be responsible for what was to come.

 

On the eighth lap of the Grand Prix, Roger Williamson (competing in his second race) suffered a heavy crash near Tunnel Oost and his car, whilst scraping along the tarmac caught fire. Williamson was thankfully uninjured during the crash, but time was running out and he could not break free from the car. Williamson’s fellow countryman David Purley parked it alongside, crossed the circuit and sprinted over to the burning March. Purley attempted to turn the car upright. There appeared to be some time to right the car and get Williamson out, but as hard as Purley tried, he was unable to do it all by himself, and the marshals, who were not wearing flame-retardant overalls, were unable and not willing to help because of the intense heat. Race control assumed that Purley’s car that had crashed, and that the Briton escaped unscathed. The majority of drivers who saw Purley waving at them to stop assumed that he was trying to put out a fire from his own car, having safely gotten out of it, and did not know a second driver was involved. As a result, the Grand Prix continued, whilst Purley tried hard to save Williamson’s life. Due to race officials standing around doing nothing to help and hinder the situation (by throwing away the fire extinguisher that Purely was using over the Armco barriers and down the slope) this did not work as Williamson’s car burned, and Williamson succumbed due to asphyxiation. Purley was later given the George Medal for his actions in trying to save Williamson’s life. The event was won by Tyrrell driver Jackie Stewart (who broke fellow Scot Jim Clark’s record for the most career victories that weekend) and his French teammate Francois Cevert came home in 2^nd place, but no one celebrated; it was one of the darkest moments in the history of Formula One.

 

The 1974 Grand Prix saw the re-emergence of Ferrari dominate with legend Niki Lauda scoring the victory; and 1975 saw James Hunt claim his maiden Formula One race win for Hesketh. 1976 saw Hunt win once more whilst Lauda was recovering from his horrific crash at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The 1977 even was remembered for an incident between Hunt and Mario Andretti. Andretti attempted to pass Hunt at the famous Tarzan corner; the two cars tangled, and both were forced to retire from the race. Andretti won the 1978 event, his last Grand Prix victory. 1979 saw a track change to slow cars going into Tunnel Oost, there was a fast temporary chicane put in place there. Canadian Gilles Villeneuve crashed there, whilst fighting aggressively with Alan Jones and suffered left-rear suspension damage. But the Ferrari continued; but on the following tour, he once again went off again at Tarzan corner. Refusing to wave the white flag, Villeneuve, shocked many, put the Ferrari into reverse gear and piloted his 312t4 racer out of the run-off area full of mud and back onto the track. At halfway distance, the 312t4’s left rear rim and wheel along with the suspension shattered and was being dragged by the car as it continued on, which made the Ferrari almost impossible to drive. Villeneuve, displaying his now famous car control, made his way back to the pits without crashing or going off the circuit and retired from the Grand Prix, with Jones taking the victory. The 1980 race saw the chicane removed and swapped with a slower chicane before the Tunnel Oost. 1981’s Grand Prix saw an intense battle between Alain Prost driving a Renault and Jones in his Williams, with Prost coming out as the winner. The 1982 Grand Prix was won by Ferrari’s Didier Pironi, his fellow French-compatriot Rene Arnoux suffered a horrific crash at the end of the main-straight going into Tarzan corner; with his ground-effect Renault’s front suspension failing and the Frenchman went head-first into the barriers, thankfully he was okay. The 1983 race saw a battle between title rivals Prost and Nelson Piquet. Prost tried to overtake Piquet at Tarzan, but the Frenchman hit Piquet off, and Prost crashed afterwards. The 1985 event saw Lauda take his 25th and final Grand Prix victory whilst fending off his fast-charging McLaren team-mate Prost near the end of proceedings.

 

1985 was the Dutch Grand Prix’s final running, as the company that ran the Zandvoort circuit (CENAV) went out of business, marking the end of the iconic old Zandvoort track. The track, owned by the Zandvoort municipality, was not used for some time and part of the grounds and half of the circuit was sold to Vendorado in 1987, a bungalow park developer during that time. The circuit was eventually re-designed and is still used for other motorsport categories.

 

Before in 2019, the announcement came that Formula 1 would return to Zandvoort in 2020, after a 35-year hiatus from the sport. The coronavirus plague made it 36 years and a 2021 date for its event.

 

The Circuit Zandvoort was modernised in time for Formula One’s return – including increasing its banking angle at the iconic Tarzan corner to an Indianapolis Motor Speedway style trumping it 18 degrees with the circuit being undulating and rollercoaster like.

 

The current Grand Prix circuit layout is 4.296 kilometres (2.646 miles) in length and runs in a clockwise direction.

 

Race distance is 306.648 kilometres (190.542 miles) in length with 72 laps in total and 14 corners.

 

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton holds the fastest lap record at the Circuit Zandvoort set at the 2021 event with a 1:11.097 in his Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 W12 E Performance racer.

 

Jim Clark holds the record for most Dutch Grand Prix victories with four to his name.

 

Scuderia Ferrari is the most successful constructor at the Dutch Grand Prix with nine victories.

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2026 Dutch GP Preview – Onboard Pole Position Lap of the Circuit Zandvoort

 

 

Here is the onboard pole position lap from last year’s event set by Oscar Piastri in his McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes MCL39. The Australian’s effort was a solid 1:08.662. You can watch the onboard right here at the link: Oscar Piastri Sets Track Record With Pole Lap! | 2025 Dutch Grand Prix | Pirelli

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2026 Dutch GP Preview – The Last Five Winners

 

 

2025: Oscar Piastri, McLaren Racing. 2024: Lando Norris, McLaren Racing. 2023: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2022: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2021: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 1986-2020: Not Held.

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2026 Dutch GP Preview – Tyres

 

 

Pirelli will be bringing with them to the Circuit Zandvoort, the white-branded C2 Hard compounds, the yellow-marked C3 Mediums and the red side-walled C4 Soft rubber along with the green-marked Intermediates and blue-banded Full Wet compounds in-case of rain.

 

All drivers will have six sets of the C4 red side-walled Softs, four sets of the yellow C3 Mediums and two sets of the white C2 Hard rubber.

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2026 Dutch GP Preview – Straight & Overtake Mode Zones

 

For the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the new active-aero regulations feature two Straight Mode zones: one covering the run from the final corner, through the banked Arie Luyendyk Bocht, and onto the approach to Turn 1, and a second on the short run from Turn 10 towards Turn 11. Overtake Mode operates separately from Straight Mode, with a designated detection point used to determine whether a driver is within the required gap to the car ahead; once eligible, the additional electrical energy can be deployed strategically on the following lap. This replaces the previous DRS system and should make the long run into Turn 1, in particular, the key overtaking opportunity at Zandvoort.

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2026 Dutch GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits

 

Pitlane speed limits will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.

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ICYMI – 2026 Hungarian GP Race Report – Norris ends first half with dominant victory

 

 

Lando Norris ended the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season in style, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix to take his first victory of the campaign and the 12th of his career. The reigning World Champion finished 15.080 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed the podium for Mercedes.

 

The 70-lap race began with Norris making a strong getaway, although Oscar Piastri swept past his McLaren team-mate through the opening corners to take the lead. Verstappen also made an impressive start, moving past both Ferraris, while Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen made slight contact at Turn 1. George Russell suffered an anti-stall issue and dropped all the way to 21st.

 

Piastri initially controlled the race, but Norris remained within striking distance. Hamilton spent the opening stint attacking Verstappen for third, allowing the two McLarens to build an advantage. Hamilton eventually pitted on Lap 13 for hard tyres, emerging ahead of Verstappen after Red Bull reacted to Ferrari’s strategy. Verstappen then made a bold move into Turn 1 to regain the position before making his own stop.

 

McLaren’s strategy became the central story of the race. Piastri and Norris made their first stops on Laps 17 and 18 respectively, with both switching to the harder compound. Antonelli briefly inherited the lead before stopping on Lap 22, while Russell stayed out longer in the hope of benefiting from a Safety Car.

 

Norris then applied increasing pressure to Piastri, repeatedly getting within Overtake Mode range. Piastri struggled with tyre performance and eventually told his team that his tyres did not feel good. Norris asked to be allowed through, saying: “You mean you won’t let me? I’m miles faster.” McLaren ultimately brought Piastri in on Lap 34, leaving Norris out to create a tyre offset and extend his stint.

 

Piastri’s race then unravelled after contact with Carlos Sainz while lapping the Williams on Lap 38. Although the damage was minimal, the incident cost Piastri valuable time and effectively ended his hopes of victory. Sainz was subsequently handed a five-second penalty for causing the collision.

 

Norris finally stopped on Lap 40 and retained the net lead. Antonelli, meanwhile, attempted to make a one-stop strategy work but was eventually forced to pit on Lap 54 as his tyres approached their limit. Piastri’s race ended dramatically two laps later when a gearbox problem forced him to stop at Turn 3, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Norris, Hamilton and Leclerc all took advantage of the VSC to pit, while Verstappen stayed out on older soft tyres.

 

Norris comfortably controlled the final stint to take victory, while Verstappen held second despite mounting pressure. Antonelli eventually secured third after another strong strategic recovery, extending his championship advantage.

 

Charles Leclerc was classified fourth after Hamilton’s five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane dropped him to fifth. Isack Hadjar finished sixth, while Russell recovered from his disastrous start to seventh. Liam Lawson, Nico Hülkenberg and Arvid Lindblad completed the points.

 

The result leaves Antonelli leading the Drivers’ Championship on 219 points, 50 clear of Hamilton and 59 ahead of Russell. Mercedes also strengthened its grip on the Constructors’ Championship, leading Ferrari 379–307, with McLaren third on 220 points.

 

Norris: “I’m tired! I don’t know what happened [on the opening lap], I just kept losing the rear and had some snaps, so game over for the first lap. I was pushing like hell to force [Piastri] into a mistake. my pace today was some of the best I have ever had. My pace was so good I could always extend the stint. Just happy to be back, happy to see the No. 1 again. This track is god for us, and one of my best-suited all year so maybe this is as good as it gets for now.”

 

Verstappen: “I didn’t expect to be on the podium today. We worked hard for it, just trying to survive on the compounds and make the right calls on the strategy as well. I saw the opportunity as my only one and I just went for it [against Hamilton]. It was all under control.”

 

Antonelli: “It was a tough race; we had to try and do something with strategy. We tried to go for a one-stop, but the tyre was too much on the limit so we had to stop. I am very happy; it is the best way to go into the summer break [leading the Championship]. We need to keep pushing as the second half will be hard.”

 

The full report at the link: Norris beats Verstappen, Antonelli to Hungarian GP victory.

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2026 Dutch GP Preview – The Situation

 

 

The Formula 1 circus returns after it’s traditional summer break as the 2026 campaign begins with the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort.

 

This is also the final Dutch GP as the event has not been renewed beyond this year, so the Orange Army will be out to witness four-time World Champion Max Verstappen on home tarmac for potentially the last time of his career.

 

Verstappen is yet to score victory this season but could play a key role in the title chase as Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli looks to remain in control of the World Driver’s Championship.

 

Antonelli leads the standings by 50 points over Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell by 59 points, but that gap could quickly evaporate if the Scuderia continue to bring upgrades.

 

On paper, the Circuit Zandvoort should suit Ferrari as it does not feature many straights, but McLaren’s Lando Norris won last time out on the twisty Hungaroring and should also be a threat to clinch back-to-back victories.

 

Oscar Piastri won last year’s event, which is currently his last victory in the sport, and the Melbournian needs to rediscover that form again in the second half of the campaign.

 

It is also a big race for Russell, who got engaged to his long-term partner Carmen Montero Mundt over the sport’s summer break, given Mercedes’ team-mate Antonelli’s stunning recent form.

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2026 Dutch GP Preview – Budkowski appointed Cadillac F1 Team Principal as Lowdon steps down

 

 

Cadillac has made a major leadership change during Formula 1’s summer break, appointing former Renault and Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski as its new Team Principal, with inaugural boss Graeme Lowdon stepping down from the role.

 

The change, announced on August 12, comes just 11 races into Cadillac’s debut F1 campaign. The American team remains the only constructor yet to score a championship point, with the leadership switch described by Cadillac as a “planned leadership transition” as the organisation moves from its initial build phase towards improving on-track performance.

 

Budkowski brings extensive Formula 1 experience to Cadillac, having previously held technical and management positions with Ferrari, McLaren, the FIA and Renault/Alpine. He left Alpine in 2022 before subsequently working as an F1 analyst. He will officially take charge at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

 

“Marcin’s signing is another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac Formula 1 team,” said Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss, who confirmed that the decision to remove Lowdon was his rather than a mutual agreement. Towriss also praised Lowdon for helping build the organisation from the ground up.

 

Budkowski said his focus will now be on extracting more performance from Cadillac’s operation.

 

“Cadillac has an exceptional foundation and great ambitions,” Budkowski said. “Now it’s about maximizing the development of the car within the budget cap and optimally aligning all areas of the team with the competition.”

 

Lowdon had been central to Cadillac’s F1 project since its formative stages and was appointed Team Principal in December 2024. He oversaw the team’s transition onto the grid as Formula 1’s 11th constructor but now leaves as Cadillac prepares for the second half of its inaugural season.

 

The leadership change gives Budkowski an immediate challenge: turn Cadillac’s solid foundations into results as the team begins its next phase of development.

 

Click here for the full Formula 1 2026 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructors World Championship Standings

 

The Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2026 weekend begins Friday August 21 with Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying, followed by the 100km Sprint and Qualifying Saturday August 22 and the 72 lap Race Sunday August 23.