Verstappen home stretch at Dutch GP to take its final lap in 2026
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen drives during the Qatari Formula One Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, Doha, Qatar, Dec. 1, 2024. (AFP Photo)


The Dutch Formula One Grand Prix, home to world champion Max Verstappen, will make its final appearance in 2026 before being removed from the race calendar, it was confirmed Wednesday.

According to an F1 statement, a one-year contract extension for 2026 has been secured, but after careful deliberation, the promoter has decided not to renew the race beyond that year.

The Dutch GP was reintroduced in 2021 at Zandvoort, and Verstappen has won it three times. The statement said the final edition in 2026 would include a sprint race.

The future of the race was uncertain beyond the original contract, which ran through 2025. Speculation had suggested that Zandvoort and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium could alternate, but that did not come to pass.

"All parties positively collaborated to find a solution to extend the race, with many options, including alternation or annual events on the table, and we respect the decision from the promoter to finish its amazing run in 2026," F1 president Stefano Domenicali said.

The decision means F1 could have fewer races in its former core market of Europe in the future.

There is strong interest in Asia, but F1 could also return to Africa, with South Africa and Rwanda emerging as potential hosts.