Formula 1 returns to action this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix, as the championship enters its decisive final stretch with 12 races still to come. The 12th round of the 2026 season will also mark the final appearance of Zandvoort on the F1 calendar for the time being, giving the weekend added significance for the circuit and home favorite Max Verstappen.
The return to racing also comes with one of the biggest pieces of news from the summer break. Verstappen has committed his future to Red Bull until the end of the 2030 season, bringing months of speculation over a possible move to another team to an end. The four-time world champion had been linked with Mercedes and McLaren but will remain with Red Bull as the team prepares for a new chapter under the sport’s latest regulations.
The announcement gives Verstappen another reason to look forward to his home race, where he will be aiming to end a run of more than eight months without a Grand Prix victory. He currently sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship with 109 points, 110 behind leader Kimi Antonelli, although he has finished on the podium four times this season.
Before the summer break, it was reigning world champion Lando Norris who provided the final major result, taking his first Grand Prix victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver finished ahead of Verstappen, with Antonelli taking third and maintaining a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton.
That result also gave McLaren renewed momentum heading into the second half of the season. The team introduced upgrades in Hungary, with Norris taking pole position before converting it into victory, suggesting that McLaren could be more competitive in the races ahead.
Mercedes, however, remains the benchmark going into the final stretch. Antonelli leads Hamilton by 50 points in the Drivers’ Championship, while Mercedes holds a 72-point advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, with 379 points to Ferrari’s 307. McLaren is third on 220 points.
The battle between Mercedes and Ferrari will therefore be one of the main stories of the second half of the season. Hamilton remains Antonelli’s closest challenger, while George Russell sits third on 160 points. Ferrari also has Charles Leclerc in fourth on 138 points, leaving plenty at stake over the remaining 12 rounds.
Read also : F1: Max Verstappen extends Red Bull contract through 2030
A final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort
For Verstappen, the weekend will carry a significance that goes beyond the championship. Zandvoort will host its final Dutch Grand Prix before leaving the F1 calendar from 2027 onward.
The circuit returned to the championship in 2021 and quickly became one of the defining events of the season for Verstappen and his supporters. The 4.259-kilometre track is narrow and fast, with 14 corners and steeply banked sections that make qualifying position particularly important.
This year’s event will also be the first Dutch Grand Prix to feature the Sprint format, giving drivers another opportunity to score points across the weekend.
That makes Zandvoort an important opportunity for Verstappen to put himself back into the fight for race victories. Red Bull has struggled to match Mercedes consistently this season, but the Dutchman has still managed four podium finishes and will be looking to make the most of his final home race at the circuit for the time being.
On paper, Mercedes remains the team to beat. Its advantage in both championships and its strong form give Antonelli and Russell the strongest position heading into the second half. Ferrari remains close enough to keep the pressure on, while McLaren’s improved performance in Hungary adds another potential challenger to the mix.
Dutch Grand Prix 2026 schedule (Moroccan time)
Friday, August 21
- Practice 1: 11:30–12:30
- Sprint Qualifying: 15:30–16:14
Saturday, August 22
- Sprint: 11:00–12:00
- Qualifying: 15:00–16:00
Sunday, August 23
- Dutch Grand Prix: 14:00
