A have a look at Zandvoort's short-lived return to F1

It's time for certainly one of the few old-school tracks left on the F1 calendar, after it was announced on Wednesday that the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort would come to an end after the 2026 season. As a result, F1 will once more leave the dusty dunes of Zandvoort after, it seems, only a six-year return to the historic seaside track.

The devastating decision shall be painful to simply accept for a lot of Dutch fans, who’re famous for his or her legendary support of home hero Max Verstappen, following the four-time world champion to each corner of the world of their trademark orange kits. With a tiny town of just 17,500 inhabitants, the enigmatic Zandvoort circuit was a fixture on the F1 calendar from 1950 to 1985. On a decent and very undulating track, quite a few legends of this sport won during their celebration, including: equivalent to Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, Niki Lauda, ​​​​Alain Prost and Jackie Stewart, amongst others. After a 35-year hiatus, the newly renovated Zandvoort returned to the F1 schedule in 2020, beating out a competing bid from the historic Dutch Moto GP venue, Assen, to host the country's first race since 1985.

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An actual have a look at crowd sizes ahead of the return of spectator racing on the 2021 Dutch GP.

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

After the 2020 race was postponed as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, F1 roared back to life, arriving in Zandvoort the next 12 months. Just over 200,000 fans flocked to the sand-soaked venue to observe Red Bull's Verstappen sprint to victory in a fully dominant performance. Verstappen, the primary Dutchman to win his home Grand Prix, was greater than 20 seconds clear of second-placed Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton when the checkered flag fell halfway through his first winning season.

2022 was an equally straightforward affair for Verstappen, who won his fourth race in a row based on the poll. It wasn't an event that classic F1 fans would return to in the approaching years, but as usual, Dutch fans made probably the most of the weekend, which was attended by over 300,000 spectators.

A 12 months later and this time the weekend made up for 2 straight years of largely drama-free performances in front of one more sold-out crowd. McLaren's Oscar Piastri hit the barrier on the unique third turn, before Alpha Tauri's Daniel Ricciardo also found himself within the TECPRO barrier as he tried to avoid his compatriot. Unfortunately for Honey Badger, the crash of the steering wheel broke a metacarpal bone in his hand, ruling him out of the subsequent five races. He was replaced by debutant Liam Lawson, in what turned out to be not only his debut, but in addition a trial run in what would eventually turn into his everlasting home.

Verstappen, nonetheless, picked up where he left off the 12 months before, taking pole position over half a second ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who was in second place. The race itself was tough. When the lights went out at Zandvoort, the skies opened up almost immediately, flooding the track and forcing a mad pit stop. Williams' Logan Sargeant found the barrier early before the Alfa Romeo pair of Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, in addition to Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda, aquaplaned into the primary corner late within the race as rain made its presence felt again. Verstappen's historic ninth consecutive victory kept him on target to set a brand new F1 record the next week, becoming the primary driver to win 10 in a row. Also driving within the world-class race were Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who was second, and Alpine's Pierre Gasly, an unexpected third.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, ahead of Aston Martin through the wet Dutch GP, 2023.

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Fast forward to 2024 and the locals faced one other moderately dull race. Verstappen once more took the lead in qualifying and Norris became the primary Briton to win on the track since McLaren's James Hunt in 1976.

Far from the intense lights offered in newer venues like Las Vegas, Zandvoort's old charm and twists will ultimately not be enough to reserve it as money continues to pour into the game from the pockets of celebrities around the globe. Following within the footsteps of other aging circuits equivalent to Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, fanatical Dutch fans have just two more years to enjoy this beloved circuit until its orange smoke disappears for good into the mist of the North Sea.