Settling the orange smoke: A look at Zandvoort’s short-lived return to F1

Time’s up for one of few remaining old-school tracks on the F1 calendar after it was announced on Wednesday that the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort would come to an end after the 2026 season. As such, F1 will depart the dusty dunes of Zandvoort once again following what turned out to be just a six-year return to the historic seaside circuit.

This devastating decision will be a painful one to accept for many Dutch fans, who are famed for their legendary support of home hero Max Verstappen, following the four-time world champion to every corner of the globe in their signature orange ensembles. With a population of just 17,500, the tiny town of Zandvoort’s enigmatic track was a stalwart of the F1 calendar between 1950 and 1985. The cramped and uniquely undulating circuit saw numerous legends of the sport come away with a victory during its hay day, including the likes of Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, and Jackie Stewart among others. Following a 35-year hiatus, a newly renovated Zandvoort returned to the F1 schedule in 2020, beating a rival bid from the historic home of the Dutch Moto GP, Assen, to host the country’s first race since 1985.

After the 2020 race was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, F1 roared back to life, arriving at Zandvoort the following year. Just shy of 200,000 fans flocked to the sand-soaked venue to watch as Red Bull’s Verstappen romped to victory in an utterly dominant performance. The first Dutchman to win his home Grand Prix, Verstappen was over 20 seconds clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in second once the checkered flag fell mid-way through his first championship-winning campaign.

2022 was an equally simple affair for Verstappen, who charged from poll to win his fourth consecutive race. It was hardly an all-time classic F1 fans will look back fondly on in the years to come, but as usual, Dutch fans made the most of the weekend with more than 300,000 people in attendance.

A year later and this time the weekend made up for two straight years of largely drama-free outings in front of another sell-out crowd. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri crashed into the barrier on the unique turn three banking, after which Alpha Tauri’s Daniel Ricciardo also ended up in the TECPRO barrier in an attempt to avoid his countryman. Unfortunately for the Honey Badger, the snap of the steering wheel broke a metacarpal in his hand, ruling him out of the next five races. In his place stepped rookie Liam Lawson for what proved to be not only his debut, but also a trial run in what would eventually become his permanent seat.

Verstappen, however, picked up where he’d left off a year earlier, qualifying on pole over half a second ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris in second. The race itself was far from simple. After the lights went out at Zandvoort, the heavens almost immediately opened, drenching the circuit and prompting a mad dash to the pits. Williams’ Logan Sargeant found the barrier early on, before the Alfa Romeo pair of Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, as well as Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda all aquaplaned at turn one late in the race after the rain reared its ugly head once again. A historic ninth consecutive win for Verstappen kept him on track to eventually set a new F1 record the following week, becoming the first driver to win 10 straight. The race also saw some world-class driving from the likes of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in second, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly took an unexpected third.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, ahead of an Aston Martin at a wet Dutch GP, 2023.

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Fast forward to 2024 and locals were in for another somewhat tedious race. Verstappen once again led the way in qualifying, before Norris went on to become the first Brit to win at the circuit since McLaren’s James Hunt in 1976.

Far from the bright lights on offer at newer venues such as Las Vegas, Zandvoort’s old-time charm and banked turns are ultimately not enough to save it, as money continues to rain down on the sport from the pockets of celebrities around the world. Following in the footsteps of the likes of other aging tracks such as Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, fanatical Dutch fans have just two more years to enjoy this beloved track until their orange smoke fades into the North Sea mist for good.