Dutch Grand Prix 2026: Zandvoort's rollercoaster of sand dunes set to return

The Formula 1 caravan heads to the Netherlands on 21-23 August 2026 for the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, one of the most characterful and challenging venues on the modern calendar.

The weekend kicks off with Practice 1 on Friday 21 August, ahead of Sprint Qualifying the same day. Saturday 22 August brings the Sprint and Qualifying sessions, before the main event gets under way on Sunday 23 August.

A circuit born from post-war enthusiasm

Like Silverstone, Zandvoort first opened in 1948 as part of the wave of post-war motorsport enthusiasm that swept across Europe. The track was originally made up of a mixture of permanent racing surface and public roads snaking through the sand dunes of the Zandvoort resort town. The Dutch Automobile Racing Club, which initiated the plans for the circuit, brought in 1927 Le Mans winner Sammy Davis to consult on the layout of the original 4.2km track.

Six decades for a return

Formula 1 first arrived in the Dutch dunes in 1952, with Alberto Ascari dominating the race as he led home a 1-2-3 finish for Ferrari. The championship raced on and off at Zandvoort until 1985, before the announcement in 2019 that F1 would return for 2020 after a 35-year hiatus. The Covid-19 pandemic delayed that comeback, stretching the wait to 36 years and a 2021 date.

What makes the track special

'Really quick', 'pretty insane', 'crazy' and 'old-school' were the words used by the current crop of F1 drivers when asked to describe the Zandvoort circuit that many of them tackled in their junior category days. 'Undulating' is another apt description: the track swoops and flows through the sand dunes, creating a rollercoaster-like feel to the lap.

While the circuit was modernised in time for F1's most recent return — including increasing the banking angle at the famous Tarzan corner to an Indianapolis Motor Speedway-trumping 18 degrees — Zandvoort remains a proper, challenging drivers' track.

Atmosphere and spectacle

Zandvoort combines a host of enticing features for an F1 fan. There is the historic track, which famously featured in John Frankenheimer's classic film Grand Prix and was the scene of many great F1 moments over the years — Gilles Villeneuve's three-wheeled lap among them. There is the atmosphere, which with Max Verstappen on the grid is always guaranteed to be electric and most definitely orange-hued. And then there is the beachside location, just a 30-minute train ride outside of Amsterdam.

For the best viewing experience, F1 recommends taking to either the first turn at Tarzan, or to one of the banked corners — at Arie Luyendijkbocht, the final turn on the track, or Hugenholtzbocht. For F1's 2021 return, the latter corner was both widened and banked into a parabolic corner, allowing cars to run side by side at the same speed through it.

Key statistics

• Circuit length: 4.259km
• First Grand Prix: 1952
• Number of laps: 72
• Race distance: 306.587km
• Fastest lap: 1:11.097 — Lewis Hamilton (2021)