Someone in the Netherlands got a rare thing from Formula 1’s commercial overlords: an honest answer. The TT Circuit Assen has officially shelved its Formula 1 ambitions, and the reason is refreshingly straightforward. Liberty Media told them, plainly, that it was not happening.
From ‘Certain’ to Cancelled in Weeks
Just weeks ago, Dutch sports marketeer Chris Woerts was declaring on national television that an F1 race at Assen was “100 per cent certain.” Promoter Lee van Dam called the odds “very good” if the right conditions were met. Assen was even working towards a FIA Grade 1 licence. The optimism was loud, and it was everywhere.
It was also, apparently, completely unfounded.
TT Circuit director Mark van Aalderen confirmed the decision, saying the circuit had always been willing to adapt its facilities if the right promotor arrived. That willingness is now gone.
“We have been made clear that the chance of an F1 race in Assen is zero until 2030, and extremely small after that. The board has therefore decided not to make the necessary multi-million investment for a Grade One licence.” – Mark van Aalderen
Liberty Media’s Surprisingly Frank Admission
Circuit chairman Arjan Bos revealed that Assen went straight to the top. During MotoGP’s Barcelona round, Bos and Van Aalderen approached Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang directly. Chang referred them to Louise Young, Formula 1’s Chief Race Officer and the woman who ultimately shapes the calendar.
Young’s message was unambiguous. The chances of Assen joining the F1 calendar were minimal. For a sport that usually strings venues along with vague promises and hefty hosting fee discussions, that kind of candour is almost startling.
“We asked for an honest answer and we got one. The chance that Assen ever hosts a Formula 1 race was described as minimal.” – Arjan Bos
The Smart Call: Back MotoGP, Not a Fantasy
The financial logic here is solid. Upgrading Assen to Grade 1 standard would cost millions, and the circuit leadership concluded those millions would never be recovered from an event that may never arrive. Instead, they will pour investment into maintaining their MotoGP slot, one of the most iconic rounds on that calendar.
It is hard to argue with that. Red Bull money or not, Max Verstappen‘s popularity or not, the F1 calendar is already groaning under its own weight. Squeezing another Dutch venue in was never realistic.
What This Means for Dutch Fans
Zandvoort exits the calendar after 2026. Assen has now closed its door. That means Dutch F1 fans face a future of watching Verstappen, currently seventh in the standings and still showing flashes of his old dominance, from their sofas rather than grandstands.
For a country that once queued overnight for Dutch GP tickets, that is a genuinely sad outcome. But at least somebody told them the truth, which in Formula 1 politics, counts as practically revolutionary.
