Fans and Zandvoort officials express disappointment at news of last F1 race in the town

Dutch F1 fans are very disappointed with the announcement made by the Dutch Grand Prix organizations that the 2026 edition of the Zandvoort Grand Prix will be the last. “Very sad,” said Svenja Tillemans of the fan club Formula 1 Women about the news. “It is a shame that no solution was found. Rotating with other circuits could have been a good option.”

However, Tillemans does understand the decisions made by the organization. “We have been hearing for two years that Zandvoort is struggling.” She added that is why it is wise to quit before it goes wrong. She believes the decision is brave “because they know they are going to disappoint a lot of Dutch fans.”

Some of the F1 fans online were more critical than Tillemans about the decision. "This is what you get when you sell your heart and soul to those oil farmers," said one person. Another fan called the news sad. “The big money wins.”

The mayor of Zandvoort, David Moolenburgh, was also disappointed about the news. A response from the municipality, which was also sent on behalf of the mayor and aldermen, stated that on the one hand, Zandvoort is happy that another year can be added to the "successful series.”

But the municipality also finds it a great shame that it will come to an end afterward. "The editions of 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 form a wonderful chapter in the history of our seaside town, and we trust that 2025 and 2026 will also be added to that list."

The municipality of Zandvoort respects the organizer's choice to stop at its peak. The municipality also reported that it understands "the considerations underlying this.”

But not everybody was displeased with the news, nature organizations are pleased with the development. “It is good news that one of the most highly attended circuits is going to end,” said Marc Janssen, the director of Stichting Duinbehoud, an organization for the protection of dunes.

Chairman Johan Vollenbroek of the environmental organization MOB agreed: "All that running on petrol with those cars, that is completely outdated, isn't it?"

The nature organizations were against the F1 races before they even began. Many court cases were initiated to stop the event from happening, but the court ruled in favor of the circuit on every occasion.

"We have often lost cases with the argument that the social importance of the Grand Prix was great. That has now disappeared," said Janssen. He, therefore, sees opportunities to tighten the environmental permits for the circuit. "We want to consult with the province about this."

Duinbehoud’s main issues with the event are the noise pollution and nitrogen precipitation in the dunes around the circuit. The dune area has a protected status of Natura 2000.

Janssen hopes that a part of the natural areas can be recovered after the Grand Prix. According to him, grandstands built for Formula 1 can be removed. They also only received a temporary permit.

Vollenbroek added that it "would be nice if the circuit management came to an ecological insight.” He noted that most nitrogen emissions from the circuit are not produced during the GP weekend. To really minimize those emissions, the MOB chairman would prefer to see all car races become electric, such as Formula-E.

The current world champion of F1, Max Verstappen, responded to the news by saying that he has two more chances to win the race. Verstappen won three of the last four editions in Zandvoort.

"We are proud that Formula 1 has found its way to Zandvoort, partly thanks to Max," said Raymond Vermeulen, the manager of the four-time Formula 1 world champion. "We can already look back on four fantastic editions and have two more to go.