Formula 1’s modern chapter at Zandvoort is reaching its conclusion, and the final Dutch Grand Prix has brought an emotional farewell from one of the figures most closely connected with the event. As the circuit prepares to stage its last F1 race after six editions since the championship returned in 2021, Jan Lammers has reflected on how a project once considered unrealistic grew into an internationally recognised celebration of Dutch motorsport.
The atmosphere around Zandvoort has remained unmistakably Dutch for the final weekend, with orange-filled grandstands, music, dancing supporters and marshals creating the familiar backdrop. Away from the noise of the circuit, however, the mood became more reflective when a farewell letter from Lammers appeared in the press room, inviting everyone who had been part of the journey to enjoy Zandvoort’s final Formula 1 chapter. Fans following the weekend can also find the full 2026 Dutch GP schedule and session times.
Jan Lammers reflects on Zandvoort’s unlikely Formula 1 return
Jan Lammers explained that his connection with the circuit stretches back to childhood. Growing up in Zandvoort, he had racing cars virtually on his doorstep before later competing at the track himself. He witnessed Formula 1 leave the Netherlands and, decades later, was closely involved in the journey that brought the Dutch Grand Prix back to the calendar.
Lammers recalled that the original plan to revive Formula 1 at the small circuit between the dunes and the North Sea was regarded by many as unrealistic. Yet the project became reality in 2021, when Zandvoort welcomed Formula 1 back in front of enormous crowds.
What followed, in his view, became far bigger than those involved had initially imagined. Hundreds of thousands of spectators turned the event into a sea of orange, with the atmosphere beginning from the arrival of the first trains in the morning and continuing long after the cars had crossed the finish line.
How the Dutch GP became more than a Formula 1 race
The modern Dutch Grand Prix quickly developed a visual identity recognised far beyond the Netherlands. Lammers highlighted the orange grandstands, the surrounding dunes and the North Sea, as well as the anticipation that accompanied every appearance on track by Max Verstappen.
Most importantly, he credited the supporters with showing how powerful enthusiasm for motorsport could become. Drivers and teams from around the world had repeatedly spoken about the unusual atmosphere at Zandvoort, something Lammers believed did not require promotion because competitors could experience it for themselves.
The 2026 event brings that modern run to an end after six editions. The significance of the final weekend is heightened by the scale of what was achieved: according to Lammers, nearly two million visitors have attended during that period, while thousands of people worked behind the scenes to make the Grand Prix possible year after year.
For anyone looking at the particular challenge posed by the venue itself, our 2026 Dutch GP preview covers Zandvoort’s demanding layout, Sprint format, tyre strategy and coastal conditions.
Zandvoort prepares for its final Dutch GP farewell
Lammers acknowledged that seeing something so successful come to an end creates a strange feeling, particularly after the event grew into something many people wanted to preserve. At the same time, he suggested that the final race should also be an opportunity to appreciate what Zandvoort had accomplished.
A relatively small country had succeeded in bringing one of the world’s biggest sporting events back to a venue where many had believed modern Formula 1 could no longer work. That success, Lammers emphasised, came from the people who believed in the project, the thousands who worked on it and the fans who continued returning every year.
The memories of Formula 1 at Zandvoort will remain
The closing part of Lammers’ message focused less on the end itself and more on what will remain after the final chequered flag. He reflected that the images and stories created across the six-year run would endure, while the sound of Formula 1 cars and the roar of the crowds would remain part of the memory of the circuit between the dunes and the sea.
He also expressed gratitude to everyone who travelled to Zandvoort, those who followed the event from elsewhere in the world and the Formula 1 drivers, teams, partners and media who became part of the Dutch Grand Prix story.
Lammers signed the farewell in his capacity as Sporting Director, but also as a proud citizen of Zandvoort and, above all, a motorsport fan. With one final Grand Prix still to be completed, his message captured the unusual mixture of celebration and nostalgia surrounding the end of Zandvoort’s modern Formula 1 era.
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