Four tracks we’d love to see replace Zandvoort as F1 confirms final Dutch Grand Prix

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Formula 1 has confirmed the promoter of the Dutch Grand Prix has decided against a long-term contract, so the race at Zandvoort will now slip off the calendar after 2026.

The rise of Max Verstappen as a front-running force in Formula 1 helped Zandvoort bring the Dutch Grand Prix back to the calendar in 2021. Organisers had initially aimed to have F1 cars return to the sand dune-lined Zandvoort in 2020, but postponed the race owing to Covid-19.

F1 had not raced at Zandvoort since 1985 following the track facing financial difficulties. The circuit first featured on the Formula 1 calendar in 1952 and also often raced there across the next 33 years. But F1’s latest spell holding a Dutch GP at Zandvoort will only last six editions.

F1 will hold the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in 2026 with a Sprint weekend

Formula 1 announced on December 4 that it and the promoter of the Dutch GP had agreed to extend Zandvoort’s contract to stage the race by one year and to make the 2026 running the last edition. The Dutch Grand Prix will also include an F1 Sprint for the first time in 2026.

The Dutch GP has been a fan-favourite event since the race’s return, with Zandvoort adored by many for its party atmosphere. Verstappen has even often delighted his home fans as the Red Bull star won the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Dutch GP before losing to Lando Norris in 2024.

McLaren pilot Norris beat Verstappen to win the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix with a massive lead of 22.896 seconds. It was one of the biggest winning margins of the 2024 season and it saw the Briton pass the home favourite into Turn 1 on Lap 17/72, having lost the lead at the start.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Formula 1’s 2026 engine and chassis regulations

But when F1 introduces new engine and chassis regulations in 2026, it will also say goodbye to Zandvoort once again and Verstappen will strive to secure another home win at the final Dutch Grand Prix. That is also despite the venue’s vast investment to reconfigure the circuit.

Zandvoort invested heavily to bring F1 back to the Netherlands with positive camber added to Tarzan (Turn 1) along with banking akin to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway added at T3 (Hugenholtz-Bocht) and T14. But the short 700-metre pit straight made overtaking difficult.

So, with a space on the F1 calendar now vacant from 2027, our team of expert writers at F1 Oversteer have offered their thoughts on which circuits they would love to see replace the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort – including potential returns to many adored former venues.

Kyle Archer: Bank on Petronas to bring Malaysia back to F1 after leaving Zandvoort

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has often claimed that “more and more countries want a Grand Prix” and that the idea of rotating European rounds may become a reality. Zandvoort was also often one of the circuits touted for a rotational place if it got a new long-term deal.

But F1 should not push for a rotational replacement in Europe for the Dutch Grand Prix and should instead bid to bank on Petronas to bring the Malaysian Grand Prix back in 2027 after what will be a 10-year absence. F1 last raced at Sepang when Max Verstappen won in 2017.

The Sepang International Circuit is one of the best tracks in the world and staged incredible Formula 1 races from 1999 to 2017. It has the perfect mixture of long, high-speed straights for overtaking and tight, tricky and technical corners that test Formula 1 cars at their limits.

Holding the race in the early part of the year with rounds like the Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese Grand Prix would also help F1 in its quest to build a more sustainable calendar. Staging a Malaysian GP early in the year even increases the odds of unpredictable weather.

Malaysia’s state oil company Petronas has also looked into bringing Sepang back to the F1 calendar. Sepang stopped staging the race after 2017 due to the increasing costs to host it amid decreasing ticket sales. But a return as soon as 2026 has been touted as an objective.

Ben Evans: Bring back Mugello after losing the Dutch GP at Zandvoort

I would love to see F1 return to Mugello after losing the Dutch Grand Prix following its one-off run at the circuit in 2020 with the Tuscan Grand Prix. The race produced some fantastic action and, given the fast nature of the circuit, it really tests drivers.

Lewis Hamilton produced a fine move on Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas to take the lead and show that overtaking is possible, while the huge crash at the safety car restart denied fans plenty of action that should have taken place further down the grid.

This would mean adding a third Italian circuit to the calendar but, with Imola’s future in F1 under threat, replacing Zandvoort with Mugello may not be an issue going forward.

Shay Rogers: F1 missed a trick letting the Indian Grand Prix fall off the calendar

Personally, I think F1 missed a trick when it allowed the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit to drop off the calendar. That track had everything from spectacular high-speed corners to hairpins, and even a long straight to allow for overtaking.

The conditions that the Indian GP was held in were somewhat testing too, with India being a fairly hot part of the world and a bit of a challenge for the Pirelli tyres and drivers’ fitness.

Three years on the calendar didn’t do the Indian GP justice, especially when its unofficial goodbye to the sport was Sebastian Vettel’s iconic fourth championship celebration in 2013.

Formula 1 returning to the Buddh International Circuit is unlikely to ever happen, despite the loss of Zandvoort. But officials teased a return of the Indian GP to F1 as recently as last year. So, I can dream, right?

Rory Mitchell: F1 should replace Zandvoort with another unique track in Istanbul Park

It’s a shame that a lot of investment went into transforming Zandvoort to give it a unique factor on the calendar. Therefore, I think the Dutch Grand Prix deserves to be replaced with another unique circuit.

Istanbul Park has one of F1’s most iconic corners, the triple-apex left-hander at Turn 8. It would pose quite a technical challenge in the current ground effect cars, because of the interaction between ride height and compression.

When F1 returned to Istanbul Park in 2020, there was a problem with the tarmac after resurfacing efforts were only completed a couple of weeks before the race. But I don’t see how that will be repeated in the future after the track was later water-blasted in 2021.

Tyler Rowlinson: F1 simply has to return to Istanbul after dropping Zandvoort

With Zandvoort off the schedule after 2026, for me, F1 simply has to get Istanbul back onto the calendar. The Turkish Grand Prix is a fan-favourite, producing some brilliant races from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s.

Its high-speed corners and straights will no doubt provide some exciting action on track in the new era of cars in 2026. Istanbul’s brief return in 2020 and 2021 was a welcome one and it saw Lewis Hamilton win his seventh title in the former season.

With the Brit moving to Ferrari in 2025 and both having great records around the circuit, even they may be wanting a return to the iconic circuit.

The track has recently come under new ownership and with a space now available for 2027, I think there isn’t a better time than now for Istanbul to make its F1 return.