After a few weeks of summer break, the 2026 Formula One (F1) season will resume at Zandvoort for the last race at the track. After the well-deserved rest during the summer shutdown, teams will come back with a morale boost. Mercedes will have to respond to the rising threat from competitors and will want to hit the ground running, as Kimi Antonelli leads the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC) by 50 points.
After introducing a significant upgrade package in Hungary before the break, Aston Martin has shown potential to challenge the midfield now. To complement that, the team will introduce the power unit upgrade in Zandvoort, which could be a new beginning for the Silverstone-based outfit.
Speaking of new beginnings, Cadillac announced the departure of their former team principal, Graeme Lowdon, after the first half of the campaign. Marcin Budkowski, former Alpine director, will take the helm at Cadillac.
This weekend will also mark the last race at Max Verstappen’s home track, as the contract between F1 and the iconic Dutch venue expires and was not renewed. We discuss these stories and more in our race weekend preview on The Sports Side.
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Track and Weather for the 2026 Dutch GP
The track was opened to racing in 1948 and was a mix of a racetrack and public roads. The F1 race was held in 1952, with Italy’s Alberto Ascari dominating the race. The track was removed from the calendar in 1985 and returned in 2021, and now will host the last race in 2026 before going off the calendar again.
It is known as the old-school circuit with fast curves formed by natural dunes. It is one of the smallest circuits. The circuit features steeply banked corners with angles up to 18 and 19 degrees.
| Circuit Lenght | 4.259 km |
| Number of Turns | 14 |
| Number of Laps | 72 |
| Race Distance | 306.587 km |
| Fastest Lap Record (Race) | 1:11.097 (2019) Lewis Hamilton |
Cooler conditions are expected throughout the weekend compared to the other European races. There is also a chance of light showers.
Max Verstappen’s potential final race at his home track
The 2026 Dutch GP will mark the last race on the track, as the contract between the race promoter and F1 is not renewed. When F1 returned to the Netherlands in 2021 after 36 years of hiatus, Max Verstappen was one of the major factors, and his fanbase, also known as the Orange Army, never disappointed in the five years when their home hero raced here.
In terms of fan enthusiasm, it is considered one of the best races on the calendar. This will be a moment of farewell for the iconic track and the fans as they see their hero potentially one last time at his home turf. To commemorate this, Max Verstappen will be donning a special helmet.
Can Mercedes respond to the rising threat from opponents?
Mercedes were the team to beat in the first six races as they completely dominated them, with Antonelli winning five and Russell one. McLaren and Red Bull were having their own struggles; Ferrari only seemed the team that could challenge them, and they came close to winning but, either due to bad luck or poor strategy decisions, they were unable to get over the line.
In Barcelona, it finally happened as Lewis Hamilton got his maiden win in the scarlet car. During this time, cracks started to appear in what seemed to be a perfect car at the start of the year, as the team started facing occasional reliability issues with the W17.
With close rivals such as McLaren and Red Bull catching up to the Brackley outfit, they will have to fix underlying reliability issues, and they will introduce several upgrades in the coming weeks which should help them maintain the gap to rivals.
How much difference can Aston Martin make with the upgraded power unit?
In 2026, Aston Martin got off to a rocky start as the team’s A-spec car’s performance was very poor. AMR 26 faced multiple reliability issues as well as vibrations causing potential health risks to drivers. Instead of competing, the team was aiming to finish the races.
Aston Martin management decided that, instead of periodic upgrades, the team would introduce multiple upgrades at once in Hungary. It yielded the results, as there was a clear performance improvement; Fernando Alonso made it to Q2 for the first time in the season.
However, some older issues were still prevalent, such as the vibrations. Honda will introduce the power unit upgrade, which aims to solve these issues as well as improve the performance and the team’s ability to consistently challenge the midfield teams.
Change of leadership at Cadillac ahead of the 2026 Dutch GP
It’s been a calm summer break, although there was a lot of buzz regarding driver market deals and it was expected major announcements would come during the break. The only major announcement made during the break was Cadillac’s announcement of a change of team principal, as Graeme Lowdon, who had been working on the project from the ground up, will be leaving the team.
Former Alpine director Marcin Budkowski will take the helm at the American outfit. The Pole has an impressive résumé; he has worked with teams like Ferrari and McLaren, and also worked for the motorsports governing body, the FIA.
Team CEO Dan Towriss explained that the appointment of the Polish engineer marks the beginning of a new phase in Cadillac’s journey after having the basics figured out; it’s time to increase competitiveness, and Budkowski is the ideal candidate for this.
First Sprint at Zandvoort for the 2026 Dutch GP
The 2026 Dutch GP will feature the first-ever sprint race at the track. This means more competitive sessions and point-scoring opportunities for teams and more entertainment for spectators.
The 2026 Dutch GP will mark the start of the second half of the season. It will also serve as the farewell to the Zandvoort track and Verstappen’s potential last home race.
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