Ralf Schumacher understands why the Grand Prix at Zandvoort will only be held two more times before the race disappears from the F1 calendar in 2026. The German labels the earlier success of the Dutch GP as a ‘hype’, riding on the success of local hero Max Verstappen. ‘Formula 1 is no longer a European party’, Schumacher concludes.
There will be two more editions and then the Dutch GP will disappear from the calendar. In 2026, the last race weekend will be held in the dunes of Zandvoort. The organization behind the Dutch Grand Prix decided to pull the plug on the event themselves, due to financial uncertainties and ambiguity about the future of the race.
Analyst Ralf Schumacher understands why Zandvoort will no longer be on the F1 calendar in two years. “It’s a shame, but there’s not much we can do about it,” the former Formula 1 driver tells Backstage Boxengasse. According to Schumacher, the Dutch GP was mainly successful because of Max Verstappen. “But such a hype is always temporary. You can also see this in the earnings from the sponsors. We have to get used to the fact that Formula 1 is no longer a European party. That’s why it’s so successful now.”
‘Netflix and America’
The six-time Grand Prix winner also knows exactly what Formula 1 owes its current success to. “Netflix and America,” the German is clear. “Nobody thought ten years ago that Formula 1 would become so popular. But it could well be that in ten years Europe will be economically better off again. We’ll have to wait and see.”
