Most events cling to the F1 calendar until someone drags them off. Zandvoort is doing something almost unheard of: leaving by choice, at the top, before the wheels fall off. Say what you like about the Dutch GP, but that takes nerve.
The Best Event F1 Has Seen
Prince Bernhard, the man who owns Circuit Zandvoort, is not shy about the legacy his race leaves behind. And frankly, the facts back him up.
“We have organised the best event in the history of Formula 1 for years on end. Six incredible years. The Dutch GP has been a magnificent showcase for the Netherlands.” – Prince Bernhard
That is not idle boasting. Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali reportedly called Zandvoort the new benchmark for the sport. Christian Horner famously said it felt like spending three days and nights in a nightclub. Over 300,000 fans crammed into a venue purpose-built around a tight North Sea dunes circuit, arriving by bike or train, singing and bouncing for an entire weekend. Other promoters were apparently pointed at Zandvoort as an example of what a race weekend could look like. That stings a little if you are running, say, a half-empty venue with a dreary atmosphere elsewhere on the calendar.
Fear of a Post-Verstappen Future
So why stop? The honest answer is Max Verstappen. Not because he is leaving F1 now, but because nobody knows when he will, and the financial model simply does not survive that uncertainty. The Dutch GP’s hosting fee from Red Bull-backer Liberty is calculated not just on ticket sales but on international tourism, media exposure and national economic value. Even selling out completely only covers roughly half the budget. Sponsors and commercial partners fill the rest, and that house of cards depends heavily on Verstappen mania remaining intact.
Commentator Nelson Valkenburg put it plainly: the organisation stopped negotiations with Formula 1 management themselves, which is reportedly the first time any circuit has ever done that. They would rather leave on a high than sign a long-term deal and find themselves stranded when the four-time world champion eventually walks away. Given the ongoing uncertainty around Verstappen’s future, that caution is entirely rational.
One Last Surge of Demand
The appetite for this final race is extraordinary. Accommodation searches in the Zandvoort area have surged compared to a normal August week, with Norway up nearly 293%, Switzerland up 279% and Poland up 263%. Amsterdam is actually the most-searched destination, because visitors know the train is the only sensible way to reach the dune-side circuit. The race itself is a sprint weekend, meaning extra on-track action for what will be an emotionally charged crowd.
Verstappen has already unveiled a special Delft Blue helmet for the occasion, and he arrives with a chance to equal Jim Clark’s record of most wins at the circuit. The records are a nice footnote. The atmosphere will be the story.
Leaving Before the Magic Fades
Bernhard admitted he had tears in his eyes the first time an F1 truck rolled through the gates in 2021. He expects more on 23 August at the final race, check the schedule in your local time. His parting thought is quietly devastating for every other promoter on the grid: “On many levels, we set a new standard for Formula 1.” He is right. And now that standard-setter is gone. F1 will be poorer for it, whatever replaces Zandvoort on the calendar.
