2026 will be the final season that Max Verstappen’s home race — the Dutch Grand Prix — will feature on the F1 calendar after a decision was made to not renew the circuit’s allegiance with the sport. With the race at Zandvoort now on the verge of an F1 exit, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve isn’t happy about F1’s decision.
The former Williams driver praised the circuit for its unique layout — in an era where he feels that other circuits feel repetitive and uninspired. “They have made it clear that Zandvoort is over and that is a shame,” he told RacingNews365.
“I don’t understand it, because it is cool and fantastic. It is a great race because it is different. The nice thing about Zandvoort is that it looks different from most other circuits,” added the 53-year-old.
Jacques Villeneuve: “They have made it clear that Zandvoort is over and that is a shame. I don’t understand it, because it is cool and fantastic. It is a great race, because it is different. The nice thing about Zandvoort is that it looks different from most other circuits.”
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Villeneuve went as far as comparing the Zandvoort layout to that of the iconic Monaco Circuit. That said, he claimed that Zandvoort had better racing fun, owing to the fact that it was easier to overtake on the track as compared to the Principality.
But the decision taken by the sport isn’t one of reducing the number of tracks on the calendar. Rather, the commercial rights holders of F1 are now looking to expand the calendar and add races in continents that the sport hasn’t gone to in many years.
Formula 1 moves towards an African push in the near future
In the months leading up to the start of the 2025 season, many nations have expressed their interest to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Chief amongst them are South Africa, Rwanda, South Korea and Thailand.
The sport has made meaningful steps into making an African F1 race happen with Rwanda already having submitted its bid. F1 did race in South Africa at the Kyalami Circuit and the nation is in the midst of preparing an Expression of Interest to get the sport back to its shores.
F1 has already started making vacancies on the calendar to make these races fit. Zandvoort’s deletion is only one of these changes.
It was also announced earlier this year that the iconic Spa-Francorchamps Circuit will not feature on the F1 calendar in 2028 and 2030. That said, as things stand, there are no plans to increase the number of races on the calendar from 24.
