Doha, Qatar – August 21, 2026: Formula 1 returns from its summer break at Circuit Zandvoort from August 21–23, with the final scheduled Dutch Grand Prix set to feature the venue’s first F1 Sprint weekend.
The weekend closes Formula 1’s latest chapter in the Netherlands. The Dutch Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 2021 following a 36-year absence, and its final edition will introduce an additional competitive element: Sprint Qualifying on Friday and a 24-lap Sprint on Saturday.
The championship resumes following the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Lando Norris claimed his first victory of the season for McLaren. Max Verstappen finished second, championship leader Kimi Antonelli took third, and Oscar Piastri retired. The result moved Norris to 128 points, placing him fifth in the standings and 19 points ahead of Verstappen as the four-time world champion prepares for his home race.
Antonelli arrives at Zandvoort with 219 points and a 50-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton. George Russell sits third, nine points behind Hamilton, while Mercedes leads Ferrari by 72 points in the Constructors’ Championship. With additional points available in Saturday’s Sprint, the weekend gives the leading drivers and teams two opportunities to influence the title race.
For Verstappen, the final Dutch Grand Prix combines the emotion of a home appearance with an immediate test of Red Bull’s pace against Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. For Norris, it offers an early indication of whether his Hungary performance can carry into the second half of the season. Both storylines will unfold within a compressed format that gives teams only one practice session before competitive running begins.
What to Expect at Zandvoort
Friday begins with the weekend’s only practice session, followed by Sprint Qualifying. The Sprint and Grand Prix Qualifying take place on Saturday, before the 72-lap Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday. Zandvoort’s narrow layout, banked corners and changeable coastal conditions place particular importance on car set-up, qualifying performance and track position.
Fans across MENA can follow the Dutch Grand Prix weekend live on TOD by beIN.
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